| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse presents two sequential wayyiqtol narrative clauses. The first clause begins with vateled {וַתֵּלֶד | wat-tê-leḏ} ‘and she gave birth’, introducing Hagar {הָגָר | hā-gār} as subject, followed by the indirect object leAvram {לְאַבְרָם | lə-ʾaḇ-rām} ‘to Abram’ and the direct object ben {בֵּן | bēn} ‘son’. This word order foregrounds the childbirth event and frames Abram as recipient. The second clause opens with vayikra {וַיִּקְרָא | way-yiq-rāʾ} ‘and he called’, with Avram {אַבְרָם | ʾaḇ-rām} immediately following, marking him as the agent naming the child. The construct shem-beno {שֶׁם־בְּנוֹ | šēm-bə-nô} ‘name of his son’ plus the relative asher-yaldah {אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָה | ʾăšer-yālədāh} ‘whom she bore’ Hagar functions as a restrictive modifier. Finally, Yishmael {יִשְׁמָעֵאל | yiš-māʿēl} appears clause-finally for emphasis, highlighting the name as the narrative climax. English renders both clauses in subject–verb order while preserving the final position of the child’s name to reflect the Hebrew emphasis. |