| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayiggeshu {וַֽיִּגְּשׁ֗וּ | wayyiqqəšû} ‘and they approached,’ marking a new narrative action. The construct chain rashei avot haLevi’im {רָאשֵׁי֙ אֲב֣וֹת הַלְוִיִּ֔ם | rōšê ăvôt haləwiyyîm} ‘heads of the fathers of the Levites’ identifies clan leaders within the Levite tribe. Each prepositional phrase el ’ĕləʿāzār {אֶל־אֶלְעָזָר֙ | ʾel ’ĕləʿāzār} ‘to Eleazar,’ wəʾel Yəhōšūaʿ {וְאֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ | wəʾel Yəhōšūaʿ} ‘and to Joshua,’ and wəʾel rōšê ăvôt hammattôṯ livnē Yiśrāʾēl {וְאֶל־רָאשֵׁ֛י אֲב֥וֹת הַמַּטּ֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | wəʾel rōšê ăvôt hammattôṯ livnē Yiśrāʾēl} ‘and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel’ sequences the addressees. The repetition of the preposition ʾel ‘to’ underscores the formal audience structure, reflecting Hebrew’s layered emphasis on collective leadership. |