| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunctive participle uphinechas {וּפִינְחָס | û-pîn-ḥāš} ‘and Phinehas’, immediately followed by the construct chain ben-eleazar ben-aharon {בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן | ben-ʾel-ʿā-zār ben-ʾa-hǎ-rôn} establishing priestly lineage. The participle omed {עֹמֵד | ʿō-mēḏ} ‘was standing’ and locative lefanav {לְפָנָיו | lə-p̄ā-nāw} ‘before him’ frame his service role. The temporal phrase ba-yamim ha-hem {בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם | ba-yyā-mîm hā-hēm} ‘in those days’ sets narrative context. The question clause combines the hif’il infinitive absolute ha-osif {הַאוֹסִף | ha-ʾō-sip̄} ‘shall I continue’ with the qal infinitive la-tset {לָצֵאת | lā-ṣē-ʾāṯ} ‘to go out’, expressing deliberation, and the conditional im-echdal {אִם־אֶחְדָּל | ʾim-ʾeḥ-dal} ‘if I cease’ completes the rhetorical question. God’s reply uses the imperative alu {עֲלוּ | ʿalû} ‘go up’ followed by a causal clause ki machar ettenenu beyadecha {כִּי מָחָר אֶתְּנֶנּוּ בְיָדֶךָ | kî mā-ḥār ʾet-tennê-nû bə-yā-ḏê-kā} ‘for tomorrow I will give him into your hand’, linking promise and time. English reorders and smooths infinitive and participle sequences to preserve the Hebrew’s deliberative tone and covenant relationship. |