| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vayehi {וַיְהִי | wayyəhî} ‘and it was’, marking a new episode. The noun naar {נַ֗עַר | nāʿar} ‘young man’ appears without the definite article, conveying indefiniteness. The construct chain mibeit lechem {מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ | mibbēṯ leḥem} ‘from Bethlehem’ identifies his hometown, while mimmishpachat yehudah {מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת יְהוּדָ֑ה | mimmisp̄aḥat yəhûḏâ} ‘from the clan of Judah’ specifies his lineage. The coordinated vehu {וְה֥וּא | vəhûʾ} introduces an appositive clause naming him levi {לֵוִ֖י | lēwî} ‘Levite’. A second vehu {וְה֥וּא | vəhûʾ} links to gar-sham {גָֽר־שָֽׁם | gār-šām} ‘was sojourning there’. The repeated vehu underscores parallel roles of tribal identity and foreign residence. English renders the asyndeton of vehu as two sentences to preserve clarity and emphasis. |