| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the demonstrative zot {זֹאת | zōt} ‘this’, marking a legal pronouncement. It forms a construct chain with torat ʾa-šer bō {תּוֹרַת אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ | tô-rāṯ ʾă-šer bō} ‘law which is in him’, using a relative clause to specify the afflicted individual. The noun phrase nega ṣā-rā-‘aṯ {נֶגַע צָרָעַת | nĕ-ga‛ ṣā-rā-‘aṯ} ‘affliction of leprosy’ combines an absolute noun with a construct noun to define the disease. A second relative clause introduced by ʾa-šer {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} ‘which’ leads to the idiom lō-taš-sîg yā-ḏô {לֹא־תַשִּׂיג יָדֹ | lō-taš-sîg yā-ḏô} ‘does not reach his hand’, indicating financial inability. The prepositional phrase bə-ṭahō-rā-ṯô {בְּטָהֳרָתֽוֹ | bə-ṭahō-rā-ṯô} ‘in his cleansing’ specifies the ritual purification context. Hebrew’s compact syntax of relative clauses and construct chains requires expansion in English to render clause relationships and idiomatic expressions clearly. |