| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayomru {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyōmerû} introducing direct speech. The subject phrase ziknei ha’edah {זִקְנֵי הָעֵדָה | ziqnê hāʾēḏāh} ‘elders of the assembly’ names the speakers. The interrogative mah {מַה־ | mah} ‘what’ leads to the deliberative Qal imperfect naʿăśeh {נַּעֲשֶׂה | naʿăśeh} ‘shall we do’. The prepositional pair la-notarim {לַנּוֹתָרִים | la-nōṯārîm} ‘for those who remain’ and le-nashim {לְנָשִׁ֑ים | lə-nāšîm} ‘for women’ forms a purpose-benefit construction. The conjunction kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} introduces the causal clause with the Niphal perfect nishmĕḏāh {נִשְׁמְדָה | nišmĕḏāh} ‘has been destroyed,’ indicating completed action with ongoing effect. The phrase mi-binyāmîn ishšāh {מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן אִשָּֽׁה | mibbinyāmîn ʾiššāh} ‘from Benjamin a woman’ places the noun in apposition to the tribe, highlighting the absence of women among Benjamin’s descendants. The English rendering retains the Hebrew question structure while clarifying the causal relationship and the gravity of the situation. |