| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive vayōmer {וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | wayyōmer} “and he said,” introducing the speech of ’āviha {אָבִ֗יהָ | ’āviha} “her father.” The infinitive absolute amor {אָמֹר | ’āmôr} paired with the perfect ’āmar’tî {אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ | ’āmar’tî} intensifies the declaration. The clause kî-śānōʾ {כִּי־שָׂנֹא | kî-śānōʾ} “because-hating” expresses causal certainty, followed by śənētāh {שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ | śənētāh} “you hated her.” The transition wā’attenēnāh {וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה | wā’attenēnāh} marks the father’s action in giving her to lə-mērē’aḵā {לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ | lə-mērē’aḵā} “your companion.” The interrogative halo {הֲלֹא | halōʾ} “is it not?” frames a rhetorical question using the comparative ṭōvāh {טוֹבָה | ṭōvāh} and the phrase mimmēnnāh {מִמֶּ֔נָּה | mimmēnnāh} “than her.” The jussive təhî-nāʾ {תְּהִי-נָ֥א | təhî-nāʾ} plus suffix forms a polite entreaty, and taḥtəhā {תַּחְתֶּיהָ | taḥtəhā} “in place of her” closes with a substitution request. The structure moves from emphatic assertion to rhetorical comparison and ends in appeal. |