| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative vav-consecutive wayyōmer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’ introduces direct speech. The particle hinnākh {הִנָּךְ | hinnākh} ‘behold’ serves as a vocative intensifier. The adjective plus imperfect sequence hārāh… wəyōlaḏeṯ {הָרָה… וְיֹלַדְתְּ | hārāh… wəyōlaḏeṯ} ‘become pregnant… you will bear’ expresses future fulfillment. The paired prohibitions ʾal-tištī… wəʾal-tōʾaḵlī {אַל־תִּשְׁתִּי… וְאַל־תֹּאכְלִי | ʾal-tištī… wəʾal-tōʾaḵlī} ‘do not drink… do not eat’ employ imperfect verbs for ongoing commands. The conjunction kî {כִּי | kî} ‘for’ links the commands to the child’s status as nezir {נְזִיר | nezîr} ‘Nazirite’. The temporal frame min-habbēṯen… ʿad-yōm mōtô {מִן־הַבֶּטֶן… עַד־י֥וֹם מוֹתוֹ | min-habbēṯen… ʿad-yōm mōtô} ‘from the womb… until the day of his death’ underscores a life-long consecration. |