| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the Ketiv vitzu {וייצו | vî-ṣû} and is read as the Qere vayyetsavvu {וַיְצַוֻ֕וּ | wayyĕṣawwû}, a vav-consecutive Piel imperfect verb that introduces an authoritative directive. The particle et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ-} marks the direct object bnei {בְּנֵ֥י | bə-nê} binyāmin {בִנְיָמִ֖ן | Bin-yā-mîn}, “the sons of Benjamin.” The infinitive construct lēmōr {לֵאמֹ֑ר | lē-ʾōr} precedes direct speech, a standard Hebrew reporting structure. The Qal imperative ləkū {לְכ֖וּ | lə-kū} issues “go,” followed by the vav-consecutive Qal perfect waʾăravtēm {וַאֲרַבְתֶּ֥ם | wa-ʾă-raḇ-têm}, “and you lay in ambush.” The prepositional phrase baqqerāmîm {בַּכְּרָמִֽים | ba-qə-rā́-mîm} specifies location. English rendering preserves the sequence of commands and direct speech, placing the quotation at the point desired in Hebrew and maintaining the sense of strategic concealment. |