| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the prepositional phrase ulemišpechot {וּלְמִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת | ū-lə-miš-pə-ḥōṯ} ‘and to families’, introducing the subgroup of Kohathites. The construct chain benei-Kehat {בְּנֵֽי־קְהָת֙ | bə-nē-kə-hāṯ} ‘sons of Kohath’ specifies lineage, followed by the noun phrase haLeviim hanotarim {הַלְוִיִּ֔ם הַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים | ha-lə-wî-yim han-nō-ṭā-rîm} ‘the Levites the remaining ones’, where hanotarim, a Qal active participle with a definite article, marks those left over. The vav consecutive in vayhi {וַֽיְהִי֙ | wāy-hî} ‘and it was’ introduces the resultant clause arei goralam {עָרֵ֣י גּוֹרָלָ֔ם | ‘ā-rê gō-rā-lām} ‘cities of their lot’, an idiomatic genitive indicating allocation by lot. The prepositional phrase mimatteh Ephraim {מִמַּטֵּ֖ה אֶפְרָֽיִם | min-mat-tê ’e-p̄rā-yim} ‘from the tribe of Ephraim’ identifies the tribal source. English renderings break construct chains for clarity and preserve the participial nuance of hanotarim. |