| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav consecutive in veraah {וְרָאָ֣ה | wə-rā-’āh} ‘and he shall see’, marking sequential examination. The noun ha-kohen {הַכֹּהֵ֗ן | ha-kō-hēn} functions as subject. The interjection vehinne {וְהִנֵּ֤ה | wə-hin-nēh} signals a diagnostic observation. The construct phrase seet levanah baor {שְׂאֵת־ לְבָנָה בָּע֔וֹר | sə-’êṯ lə-vā-nāh bā-’ôr} ‘white swelling in the skin’ conveys the initial symptom. In the next clause, vehi hafkah sear lavan {וְהִ֕יא הָפְכָ֖ה שֵׂעָר לָבָן | wə-hîʾ hāp-khāh sə-‘ā-r lā-vān} ‘and it has turned the hair white’ provides the primary color criterion. Finally, umikhyat basar khay baseet {וּמִֽחְיַ֛ת בָּשָׂר חַי בַּשְׂאֵֽת | u-miḥ-yāṯ ba-sār ḥāy ba-sə-’ēt} ‘and a living spot of flesh in the swelling’ supplies a confirmatory sign. The English translation restructures Hebrew noun chains and verb sequences for clarity while preserving the diagnostic sequence. |