| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the wayyiqtol form vayhi {וַיְהִי | wa-yə-hî} “and it came to pass,” functioning as a narrative marker for prophetic communication. The construct chain devar Yahweh {דְבַר־יְהוָה | də-var Yə-hō-wāh} “word of the LORD” links the noun דְבַר in construct to the divine name, establishing source. The prepositional phrase elai {אֵלַי | ʾê-lay} “to me” designates Ezekiel as the recipient. The infinitive construct lemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-mōr} “saying” introduces the forthcoming direct discourse, rendered with “saying” to mirror the Hebrew discourse marker. |