| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a vav-consecutive perfect vehayah {וְהָיָ֡ה | wə-hā-yāh} ‘and it shall be’, establishing a narrative future. A temporal-conditional clause is introduced by ki-yavo’u {כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣אוּ | kî-yā-ḇō-ʾū} ‘when they come’, with avotam {אֲבוֹתָם֩ | ʾă-vo-ṯām} ‘their fathers’ or akheihem {אֲחֵיהֶ֜ם | ʾă-ḥê-hēm} ‘their brothers’ linked by an infinitive lariv {לָרִ֣יב | lā-rîḇ} ‘to dispute’ and the directional phrase eleinu {אֵלֵ֗ינוּ | ʾê-lê-nū} ‘toward us’. The narrative then shifts to direct speech with veamarnu {וְאָמַ֤רְנוּ | wə-ʾā-mar-nū} ‘and we will say’. Within the quotation, the imperative khannunu {חָנּ֣וּנוּ | ḥăn-nū-nû} ‘show favor’ commands mercy. Two causal clauses introduced by ki {כִּ֣י | kî} explain the basis: lakachnu {לָקַ֛חְנוּ | lā-qaḥ-nū} ‘we took’ a wife for each man in bammilchamah {בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה | ba-mil-ḥā-māh} ‘the war’, and netattem {נְתַתֶּ֥ם | nĕ-ta-tet-tem} ‘you gave’ to them at ka’et {כָּעֵ֥ת | kā-ʿêt} ‘this time’. The final purpose clause te’ashamu {תֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ | te-ʾă-šā-mû} ‘you will be guilty’ ensures exoneration. This structure from conditional protasis to direct speech and layered causation highlights communal reconciliation and legal responsibility. |