| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the demonstrative zot {זֹאת | zōṯ} ‘this’, which together with torat {תּוֹרַת | tōrāt} ‘law’ forms a construct chain that frames the section’s subject. The noun ha-zav {הַזָּב | haz-zāv} ‘the man with a discharge’ specifies the category, while the relative clause introduced by va-asher {וַאֲשֶׁר | va-ʾăšer} ‘and who’ combines with the Qal imperfect tetse {תֵּצֵא | tēṣēʾ} ‘goes out’ and the prepositional phrase mimennu {מִמֶּנּוּ | mimmennū} ‘from him’ to define the condition. The construct chain shikhvat zera {שִׁכְבַת־זֶרַע | šikhvat zeraʿ} ‘emission of seed’ serves as the subject of tetse, and le-tameah {לְטָמְאָה | lə-ṭāmāʾ} ‘for becoming unclean’ expresses the resultant state, with bah {בָּהּ | bāh} ‘in it’ referring back to the discharge. The structure moves from definition to rule to effect, characteristic of priestly legal style. |