| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the wayyiqtol verb vayered {וַיֵּרֶד | vay-yê-reḏ} ‘and he descended’, marking a sequential narrative event. Its subject is haayit {הָעַיִט | hā-ʿa-yîṭ} ‘the bird of prey’, a singular noun functioning generically to denote scavenging birds. The prepositional phrase ʿal-hapgarim {עַל־הַפְּגָרִים | ʿal-hap-pə-gā-rîm} ‘upon the carcasses’ specifies the sacrificial remains. The second clause begins with another wayyiqtol, vayyashev {וַיַּשֵּׁב | vay-yash-shêḇ} ‘and he drove away’, in the Hiphil stem for causative emphasis, highlighting Abram’s action. The verb–object–subject order of vayyashev otam Avram places focus on the repelling action before naming Abram. English renders this as subject–verb–object for clarity, preserving temporal flow and Abram’s protective vigilance. |