| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect wayyō’merû {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyō’merû} ‘and they said,’ introducing direct speech marked by the particle hinnēh {הִנֵּה | hinnēh} ‘behold.’ The construct phrase ḥạg yəhôwāh {חַג־יְהוָה | ḥạg yəhôwāh} ‘festival of the LORD’ specifies a divinely appointed worship event. The adverbial pair min-yāmîm yāmīmāh {מִיָּמִ֣ים יָמִ֗ימָה | min-yāmîm yāmīmāh} ‘yearly’ signals a recurrent observance. A chain of locative expressions deploys directional nouns to frame Shiloh’s location with precision: miṣpōnāh lə-ḇēṯ-’ēl {מִצְּפ֤וֹנָה לְבֵֽית־אֵל | miṣpōnāh lə-ḇēṯ-’ēl} ‘northward to Bethel,’ mizraḥāh ha-šēmēš lim-ṣillāh {מִזְרְחָ֣ה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לִמשֶלָּה | mizraḥāh ha-šēmēš li-mə-ṣillāh} ‘eastward of the sun to the road,’ and ha-’ôlâh min-ḇēṯ-’ēl šeḵemāh ū-min-negev li-levōnāh {הָעֹלָה מִבֵּֽית־אֵל שְׁכֶמָה וּמִנֶּגֶב לִלְבוֹנָֽה | hā-’ôlâh min-ḇēṯ-’ēl šeḵemāh ū-min-negev li-levōnāh} ‘the road ascending from Bethel to Shechem and from the south to Lebonah.’ By placing these locatives after the festival announcement, Hebrew creates a layered geographic envelope that defines the sacred site. |