| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative vav on vayyechezak-bo {וַיֶּחֱזַק־בּוֹ | wa-ye-ḥe-zaq-bō}, a hiphil imperfect driving the sequence. The construct chain chotno avi hanaʿarah {חֹתְנוֹ אֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה | ḥōṯ-nō ʾă-vî han-na-ʿā-rāh} specifies the persuader’s identity. The verb vayyeshev ito {וַיֵּשֶׁב אִתּוֹ | wa-ye-šeb ʾit-tô} then introduces the sojourn, with the construct numeral sheloshet yamim {שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים | še-lō-šeṯ yā-mîm} marking the duration. A series of vav-consecutive verbs—vayokhlu {וַיֹּאכְלוּ | wa-yo-ʾe-k̆lû}, vayishthu {וַיִּשְׁתוּ | wa-yish-tu}, vayalinu {וַיָּלִינוּ | wa-ya-lî-nû}—outlines successive hospitality actions, concluding with the locative sham {שָׁם | šām} anchoring the scene. |