| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōʾmer} to introduce direct speech within the narrative. Abram’s complaint is framed by two attention markers, hen {הֵן | hēn} ‘look’ and vehineh {וְהִנֵּה | wəhinneh} ‘and look’, creating a two-step focus on divine provision and its absence. The early placement of li {לִי | lî} ‘to me’ foregrounds Abram’s personal stake before the negated perfect lo natatta {לֹא נָתַתָּה | lōʾ nāṯattā} ‘You have not given’, heightening emotional tension. The noun zera {זָרַע | zāraʿ} ‘offspring’ carries covenantal lineage significance, warranting a formal retention and a dynamic shift to “children” for natural readability. The construct ben-beiti {בֶן־בֵּיתִי | ben-bêṯî} ‘son of my household’ functions generically, prompting a broader phrasing in dynamic. The participle yoresh {יוֹרֵשׁ | yōrēš} ‘inheriting’ predicates the impending heir, and oti {אֹתִי | ʾōṯî} ‘me’ conveys inheriting Abram’s status and estate rather than a mere object. |