| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative opens with ve-ra'ah {וְרָאָ֨ה | wə-rā-ʼāh} ‘and he will see’, a vav-consecutive Qal perfect that signals the priestly examination sequence. The subject ha-kohen {הַכֹּהֵ֣ן | ha-kōhēn} ‘the priest’ occupies a prototypical position, underscoring ritual authority. The compound et-hanega {אֶת־הַנֶּגַע֮ | ʾet-han-nĕ-ʿa} functions as direct object, marking specificity in the diagnostic process. Temporal adverbial ba-yom ha-shvi'i {בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֒ | ba-yôm ha-šə-vî-ʿî} specifies the seventh-day interval. The interjection ve-hineh {וְהִנֵּה֙ | wə-hin-nêh} ‘and behold’ highlights a status check. Conditional stipulations are sequenced: lo-pashah ha-neteq {לֹא־פָשָׂ֣ה הַנֶּ֔תֶק | lō-pā-śāh han-nĕ-teq} ‘has not spread’; ve-lo-hayah bo se-ar tsa-hov {וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה ב֖וֹ שֵׂעָר צָהֹב | wə-lō-hā-yāh bô sē-ʿār ṣā-hō-ḇ} ‘and has not been in it yellow hair’; and u-mar-e ha-neteq ein a-mok min-ha-or {וּמַרְאֵ֣ה הַנֶּ֔תֶק אֵ֥ין עָמֹ֖ק מִן־הָעֽוֹר | ū-mar-ʾê han-nĕ-teq ʾên ʿā-môq min-hā-ʿôr} ‘and the appearance of the infection is not deeper than the skin’. English structure preserves conditional layering, rendering each Hebrew clause in parallel while clarifying sequence and diagnostic scope. |