| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb venatata {וְנָתַתָּ | wə-nā-ṯa-ṯā} ‘place’, which governs the direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} directing attention to hakkappōret {הַכַּפֹּרֶת | ha-kap-pō-ret} ‘the cover’. The locative phrase ʿal hāʾārrōn milmālah {עַל־הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה | ʿal hā-ʾā-rōn mil-mā-‘ā-lā} ‘upon the ark from above’ specifies external orientation, and the conjunction wəʾel {וְאֶל־ | wə-ʾel} signals the transition to the interior action, leading to titten {תִּתֵּן | tiṯ-tēn} ‘put’. The second et {אֶת־ | ʾet} marks haʿêdût {הָעֵדֻת | ha-ʿê-dûṯ} ‘the testimony’, which is defined by the relative clause etten ēleḵā {אֶתֵּן אֵלֶיךָ | ʾet-tēn ʾē-le-ḵā} ‘I will give to you’, highlighting divine promise. The parallel imperatives create a twofold ritual action, maintaining the Hebrew vav-consecutive while arranging objects to meet English readability. |