| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the wayyiqtol vayehi {וַיְהִי | wa-yə-hî}, signaling a new vision and temporal sequence. The construct phrase devar Yahweh {דְבַר־יְהוָה | də-var Yə-hō-wāh} designates the LORD’s authoritative speech. The prepositional phrase elai {אֵלַי | ʾê-lay} identifies Ezekiel as the recipient, and the infinitive construct lemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-mōr} functions as the formulaic introduction to the oracle. English word order is rendered as SVO to enhance readability while preserving the prophetic formula. |