| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive wayyišmə‛û {וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ | wayyišmə‛û} ‘and they heard,’ immediately resuming the action. This is followed by the construct chain benei binyamin {בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן | bə-nē bin-yā-mîn} defining the tribal group. The conjunction ki-‘ā-lû {כִּֽי־עָל֥וּ | kî-‛ā-lû} introduces a reported perfect clause indicating that the sons of Israel ascended to the place named by hamitspah {הַמִּצְפָּה | ham-mits-pāh}. The narrative then shifts via the vav-consecutive wayyōmer-û {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyō-mer-û} into direct speech by the sons of Israel. The Piel imperative dab-bə-rû {דַּבְּרוּ | dab-bə-rû} issues an urgent command, immediately followed by the interrogative ēi-khāh {אֵיכָ֥ה | ēi-khāh} and the Nifal perfect nih-ye-tāh {נִהְיְתָה | nih-ye-tāh} forming the core of the inquiry. Finally, the noun phrase hā-ra-‘āh ha-zōt {הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת | hā-ra-‘āh ha-zōt} ‘this evil’ specifies the object of questioning. This sequence underscores the communal urgency for an explanation at a critical narrative junction. |