| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction in va’anakhnu {וַאֲנַחְנוּ | vaʾănakḥnû} ‘and we,’ linking this prohibition to the preceding narrative. The negation lo {לֹא | lōʼ} ‘not’ directly modifies the nifal imperfect nûkhal {נוּכַל | nûkhal} ‘we are able,’ creating a clear prohibition. The infinitive construct lātēt {לָתֵת | lātēt} ‘to give’ takes the object pronoun lāhēm {לָהֶם | lāhēm} ‘to them,’ governed by nāšîm {נָשִׁים | nāšîm} ‘wives’ and the construct mibənôtênû {מִבְּנוֹתֵינוּ | mibənôtênû} ‘from our daughters.’ The causal particle kī-nišbəʿû {כִּי־נִשְׁבְּע֤וּ | kī-nišbəʿû} ‘for they have sworn’ introduces the reason, with benê yiśrāʼēl {בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל | benê yiśrāʼēl} ‘sons of Israel’ as subject. The infinitive lēʼmōr {לֵאמֹר | lēʼmōr} ‘saying’ marks direct speech leading into the curse formula composed of ʾārūr {אָרוּר | ʾārūr} ‘cursed,’ nōṯēn {נֹתֵן | nōṯēn} ‘the one who gives,’ ʾīššāh {אִשָּׁה | ʾīššāh} ‘a wife,’ and leḇinyāmîn {לְבִנְיָמִֽן | leḇinyāmîn} ‘to Benjamin.’ The Hebrew word order presents the prohibition before its rationale and culminates in the solemn oath-formula, highlighting communal covenant commitment. |