| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the infinitive clause liqrat {לִקְרַ֥את | liq·râṯ} ‘to meet’, functioning as a directive toward tsame {צָמֵ֖א | ṣā·mê̄ʼ} ‘the thirsty one’. The Hiphil perfect hetayu {הֵתָ֣יוּ | hē·ṯā·wû} ‘they brought’ denotes causative provision of mayim {מָ֑יִם | mā·yim} ‘water’ by yoshvei {יֹשְׁבֵי֙ | yō·šə·ḇê} ‘inhabitants’ of eretz Teima {אֶ֣רֶץ תֵּימָ֔א | ʾe·reṣ Tê·māʾ}, specifying the geographic region. The second clause begins with belachmo {בְּלַחְמ֖וֹ | bə·lă·ḥmō} ‘with his bread’ and the Piel perfect kiddemu {קִדְּמ֥וּ | qiḏ·mə·wû} ‘they met’, underscoring the reception of the noded {נֹדֵֽד | nō·ḏēḏ} ‘wanderer’. The parallel structure of water and bread provisions, combined with infinitive and perfect verb forms, creates an emphatic instructional tone conveyed by English imperatives. |