| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse unfolds with a sequence of wayyiqtol verbs: vayhi {וַיְהִי | wayhî} ‘and he was,’ vayigdal {וַיִּגְדָּל | wayyigdāl} ‘and he grew,’ vayeshev {וַיֵּשֶׁב | wayyēšeḇ} ‘and he dwelled,’ and vayehi {וַיְהִי | wayhî} ‘and he became.’ The idiomatic clause vayhi Elohim et-hanaar {וַיְהִי אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַנַּעַר | wayhî ʾĕlōhîm ʾeṯ-han-naʿar} uses the direct-object-marker et-hanaar to convey ‘God was with the boy.’ Bamidbar {בַּמִּדְבָּר | bammidbār} ‘wilderness’ functions as a locative phrase emphasizing a harsh environment. In the closing clause, the participle roveh {רֹבֶה | rōḇeh} ‘shooter’ stands in apposition to kashat {קַשָּׁת | qaššāṯ} ‘archer,’ marking the boy’s acquired skill. Coordinated past-tense verbs in English preserve the narrative progression while the idiom ‘was with’ captures the relational nuance of divine presence. |