| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav consecutive vayittənu {וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ | wayyitnû} ‘and they gave’, marking a sequential completed action. The subject phrase bnei Yisrael {בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | bənei yiśrāʾēl} denotes the national collective. The phrase laLeviim {לַלְוִיִּ֔ם | la-ləwîyîm} ‘to the Levites’ marks the beneficiary. The coordination of direct objects occurs in et-he-arim ha-eleh {אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה | ’et-hā-ʿārîm hā-’ēlleh} ‘these cities’ and ve-et-migrsheihen {וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶן | wə-’et miḡrōšēhên} ‘and their pasturelands’, reflecting inclusive allocation. The kaʾăšer ṣivvāh Yahweh bə-yad mōšē {כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה | kaʾăšer ṣivvāh yəhôwāh bə-yad mōšē} clause functions as an authority clause, attributing the command to the LORD through Moses. Finally ba-gốrāl {בַּגּוֹרָל | ba-gốrāl} ‘by lot’ specifies the procedural method, and its position at the end mirrors the Hebrew goal-adverbial syntax. |