| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative connector va’omar {וָאֹמַר | wā-ʾō-mar} ‘and I said,’ which introduces direct speech directed to the audience marked by alehem {אֲלֵהֶם | ʾă-lê-hem} ‘to them.’ The interrogative mah {מָה | māh} ‘what’ specifies the unknown referent, leading into habamah {הַבָּמָה | hab-bā-māh} ‘the high place,’ which serves as the object of the question. The relative clause asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} atem {אַתֶּם | ʾat-tem} habaim {הַבָּאִים | hab-bā-ʾîm} sham {שָׁם | šām} uses the relative pronoun asher to connect atem ‘you’ with the participle habaim ‘are coming,’ indicating habitual approach to the location marked by sham ‘there.’ The clause vayikarei shemah bamah {וַיִּקָּרֵא שְׁמָה בָּמָה | wa-yiq-qā-rêʾ šə-māh bā-māh} employs the Niphal wayyiqtol to express passive naming, emphasizing the relationship between the site and its name. Finally, ad hayom hazeh {עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה | ʿad ha-yōm ha-zē} functions as a temporal clause underscoring the enduring character of the name through time. |