| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with hinneh {הִנֵּה | hîn-nê} ‘behold’, a demonstrative particle of attention introducing the proclamation. The sequence la’esh nittan {לָאֵשׁ נִתַּן} ‘to the fire it is given’ uses a Nifal perfect to express the wood’s intended fate. Le’oklah {לְאָכְלָה} ‘for fuel’ treats the noun okhlah figuratively as consumable material. The particle et {אֵת} marks the wood as the direct object. Shenei ketzotav akhlah {שְׁנֵי קְצוֹתָיו אָכְלָה} ‘the fire has consumed both its ends’ employs a dual construct to emphasize complete destruction of extremities. The vav clause vetocho nachar {וְתוֹכוֹ נָחָר} ‘and its middle is charred’ extends the destructive action to the core in the perfect aspect. The interrogative hayitzlach limleakhah {הֲיִצְלַח לִמְלָאכָה} uses a Hiphil imperfect to frame a rhetorical question about the wood’s practical viability. The translation preserves the Hebrew paratactic style with clear clause boundaries and rhetorical suspense. |