| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative verb vayyomru {וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ | wayyōmerû} ‘and they said,’ employing a vav-consecutive for narrative continuity. The indirect object lo {ל֖וֹ | lô} ‘to him’ marks the addressee of the request. The compound she’al-na {שְׁאַל־נָ֣א | šə·’al-nā́} ‘ask please’ combines an imperative with an entreaty particle to convey respectful urgency. The request is directed be-Elohim {בֵאלֹהִ֑ים | bē·’ĕlōhîm} ‘of God,’ indicating reliance on divine authority. The cohortative veneda {וְנֵ֣דְעָ֔ה | wə·nē·ḏāh} ‘let us know’ expresses communal desire for insight. The interrogative particle in ha-tatsliakh {הֲתַצְלִ֣יחַ | ha·taṣ·lî·yaḥ} ‘will it succeed?’ introduces a subordinate interrogative clause indicating conditional inquiry. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ’ăsher} ‘which’ and the participle holkim {הֹלְכִ֥ים | hôlḵîm} ‘going’ form a relative participial clause modifying darkenu {דַּרְכֵּ֔נוּ | darkēnû} ‘our way.’ The prepositional suffix in aleha {עָלֶֽיהָ | ’ā·lê·hā} ‘upon it’ emphasizes motion along that specified path. |