| 49. Linguistic Exegesis The vav-consecutive verb ve-laqach {וְלָקַח | wə-lā-qā-ḥ} ‘and he shall take’ sequences this directive in the ritual legislation. The Piel infinitive construct lə-ḥattê {לְחַטֵּא | lə-ḥat-tê} ‘to purify’ introduces a purpose clause governing the subsequent phrase. The marker ʾeṯ {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} with the definite noun ha-bāyit {הַבַּיִת | ha-bā-yit} indicates the direct object ‘the house’. The coordinated list šə-tê ṣip-pō-rîm {שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים | šə-tê ṣip-pō-rîm} ‘two birds’, wə-ʿēṣ ʾe-rez {וְעֵץ אֶרֶז | wə-ʿēṣ ʾe-rez} ‘and cedar wood’, wə-šnī tô-lā-ʿāt {וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת | wə-šnī tô-lā-ʿāt} ‘and two scarlet yarn’, and wə-ʾê-zōv {וְאֵזֹב | wə-ʾê-zōב} ‘and hyssop’ employs asyndeton to convey the comprehensive components required for sacred cleansing. The feminine numeral constructs šə-tê and wə-šnī align with their feminine nouns, ensuring grammatical agreement shapes the English rendering. |