| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with a vav-consecutive verb, vayehiy {וַיְהִי | wa-yĕ-hî} ‘and it happened,’ marking a prophetic introduction. It follows with a construct phrase, devar-Yahweh {דְבַר־יְהוָה | dĕ-bār-Yə-hō-wāh} ‘word of the LORD,’ where dĕ-bār {דְבַר | dĕ-bār} ‘word/message’ is linked to Yə-hō-wāh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} ‘LORD,’ signaling divine authority. The prepositional ʾē-lay {אֵלַי | ʾē-lay} ‘to me’ identifies the prophet as recipient. The clause ends with lē-môr {לֵאמֹר | lē-môr} ‘to say,’ the standard Hebrew device introducing direct speech. Hebrew VSO order (Verb–Subject–Object) is rendered as Subject–Verb–Object in English for clarity. |