| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive construction vayomer {וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, introducing direct speech. The noun hakohen {הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hā-kōhēn} ‘priest’ functions as subject, with the dative marker lahem {לָהֶ֛ם | lāhem} ‘to them’ indicating the addressees. The benedictory formula ləkū lə-šālôm {לְכוּ לְשָׁל֑וֹם | ləkū lə-šālôm} ‘go in peace’ combines the Qal imperative and a prepositional phrase typical of priestly blessings. The preposition nokẖaḥ {נֹכַ֣ח | nōḵaḥ} ‘before’ introduces an evaluative clause underlining divine oversight by Yəhōwāh {יְהוָ֔ה | Yə-hō-wāh}. The construct phrase dar-kə-kem {דַּרְכְּכֶ֖ם | dar-kə-kem} ‘your way’ is specified by the relative clause ʾă-šer tēleḵū-vāh {אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָֽהּ | ʾă-šer tēleḵū-vāh} ‘which you are going in’, emphasizing the path held in view. The paratactic structure without conjunction underscores immediacy and divine accompaniment. |