| 36. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the waw-consecutive vera’ahu {וְרָאָ֙הוּ֙ | wə-rā-’ā-hû} ‘and he will see him’, assigning the priest as observer. The noun phrase hakohen {הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | ha-kō-hên} functions as subject, followed by the interjection vehinne {וְהִנֵּ֛ה | wə-hinnêh} ‘and behold’ which signals conditional focus. The perfect verb pasa {פָּשָׂ֥ה | pā-śā’} ‘has spread’ takes haneteq {הַנֶּ֖תֶק | ha-ne-ṭeq} ‘the tetch’ as subject, with ba’or {בָּע֑וֹר | bā-‘ôr} ‘in the skin’ specifying location. The prohibitive lo-yevakker {לֹֽא־יְבַקֵּ֧ר | lō̆-ye-vak-kēr} ‘he shall not inspect’ creates an exception to standard procedure, with the repeated hakohen maintaining agency. The phrase lase’ar hattsahov {לַשֵּׂעָ֥ר הַצָּהֹ֖ב | la-sê-‘ār ha-ṣā-ḥōv} ‘the yellow hair’ denotes the usual diagnostic criterion. The final nominal clause tame’ hû’ {טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא | tā-mē’ hû’} ‘he is unclean’ declares the status. The sequence pairs observation, condition, procedural variation, and status pronouncement. |