| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The directive opens with the vav-consecutive verb vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | way-yō-ʾmer} “and he said,” linking this command to God’s prior revelation. The prepositional phrase elav {אֵלָיו | ʾē-lāyw} “to him” marks Abram as the recipient. The imperative kecha {קְחָה | qə-ḥāh} “take” combined with the object marker li {לִי | lī} “for Me” introduces a covenantal offering. Each of the three larger animals—eglah {עֶגְלָה | ʿeg-lāh} “heifer,” ʿez {עֵז | ʿēz} “goat,” and ayil {אַיִל | ʾa-yil} “ram”—is followed by the Pual participle meshulleshet / meshullash {מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת / מְשֻׁלָּשׁ | mə-šul-lē-šeṯ / mə-šul-lāš} “three years old,” creating tightly bound noun-age units. The series continues paratactically with vav {וְ | wə} “and” to the smaller birds, tor {תֹּר | tōr} “turtledove” and gozal {גוֹזָל | gō-zāl} “young pigeon,” reflecting the ritual arrangement. English renderings preserve the list order and age designation to mirror the Hebrew covenant ceremony’s structure. |