| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayamal {וַיָּמָל | way-yā-mol} ‘and he circumcised’, a Qal wayyiqtol form that advances the narrative and foregrounds Abraham’s decisive action. The explicit subject Avraham {אַבְרָהָם | ʾaḇ-rā-hām} follows, then the particle et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} plus the object Yitschak {יִצְחָק | yiṣ-ḥāq}, with beno {בְּנוֹ | bə-nô} ‘his son’ in apposition, reinforcing Isaac’s identity. The age expression ben shmonat yamim {בֶּן־שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים | ben-šə-mō-naṯ yā-mîm} is a construct chain functioning adverbially to state Isaac’s age at circumcision. The clause ka'asher tsivvah oto Elohim {כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים | ka-ʾă-šer ṣiv-vāh ʾō-ṯô ʾĕ-lō-hîm} uses ka'asher to introduce a comparative-conformity clause, “according to how God had commanded him.” Hebrew places the verb tsivvah before the object pronoun oto and then names the subject Elohim, highlighting Abraham’s obedience in direct response to God’s directive. |