| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ki {כִּי | kî} ‘but’ functioning as a conjunction that introduces an exceptive clause. The conditional particle im {אִם | ʾim} ‘if/except’ links directly to the infinitival construct lišʾērô {לִשְׁאֵרוֹ | lišʾērô} ‘to/for his close relative’, establishing the limited scope of allowable relations. The participle hakārôv {הַקָּרֹב | hak-qā-rōv} ‘the close one’ appears in apposition to lišʾērô to specify proximity. The pronominal adverb ʾēlāw {אֵלָיו | ʾê-lāw} ‘to him’ personalizes the relationship. A series of coordinated lamed-prefixed prepositional phrases (ləʾimmô {לְאִמּוֹ | lə-ʾimmô} ‘to his mother’; ūləʾāḇîw {וּלְאָבִיו | ulə-ʾā-ḇîw} ‘and to his father’; wə-lībənô {וְלִבְנ֥וֹ | wə-lī-bənô} ‘and to his son’; ūləḇitō {וּלְבִתּ֖וֹ | ulə-bittō} ‘and to his daughter’; ūləʾāḥîw {וּלְאָחִֽיו | ulə-ʾā-ḥîw} ‘and to his brother’) enumerates permissible kin in an emphatic, repetitive legal style. The repeated vav with lamed preserves the priestly enumeration, and the English translation mirrors this by repeating “to” and “and” to maintain emphasis. |