| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse proceeds through a cascade of Vav-consecutives that structure the high priest’s ritual actions. vesamakh {וְסָמַ֨ךְ | wə-sā-maḵ} ‘and he shall lay’ introduces a transfer of sin. The construct phrase et-shtei yadav {אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗יו | ʾet-štê yā-dāyw} ‘both his hands’ emphasizes personal involvement. The pair ha-saʿir ha-hay {הַשָּׂעִיר הַחַי | ha-sā-ʿîr ha-ḥay} ‘the live goat’ distinguishes it from the slaughtered goat. Hitpael vehitvadah {וְהִתְוַדָּה | wə-hiṯ-wad-dāh} creates a reflexive ‘confess’ linking priest and sin. The direct object markers et-kol-avonot {אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֺנֹת | ʾet-kol-ʿā-wō-nōt} and ve-et-kol-pisha’ehem {וְאֶת־כָּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם | wə-ʾet-kol-piş-ʿê-hem} signal an exhaustive list of sins and transgressions. The prepositional phrase al-rosh ha-saʿir {עַל־רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר | ʿal-rōš ha-sā-ʿîr} binds the sins to the scapegoat’s head. Finally, b’yad-ish itti ha-midbarah {בְּיַד־אִישׁ עִתִּי הַמִּדְבָּרָה | bə-yaḏ-ʾîš ʿit-tî ha-mid-bā-rāh} uses construct plus locative he to indicate a fit agent who removes the goat into the wilderness. |