| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The passage begins with the vav-consecutive verb vehikravtem {וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם | wə-ḥik-răv-tēm} ‘bring near/present’, placing the ritual command in a sequence of festival statutes. Its object isheh {אִשֶּׁה | ʾiš-šeh} ‘fire offering’, marked by the Hiphil causative stem. The prepositional phrase laYHWH {לַיהוָה | la-yə-hō-wāh} ‘to the LORD’ identifies the divine recipient, emphasizing worship orientation. Temporal parameters are set by the numeral construct shiv‘at yamim {שִׁבְעַת יָמִים | šiv-ʿaṯ yā-mîm} ‘seven days’ and the idiomatic temporal clause bayom ha-shevi‘i {בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי | bə-yôm ha-šĕ-vî-ʿî} ‘on the seventh day’. The term mikra-qodesh {מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ | miq-rāʼ-qō-ḏeš} ‘convocation of holiness’ is a construct chain denoting a formally summoned sacred assembly. The prohibition kol-melechet avodah lo ta‘asu {כָּל-מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ | kol-mĕ-lĕ-ḵeṯ ʿă-vô-ḏāh lōʼ ta-ʿaš-šû} ‘you shall do no work of service’ uses the negative particle lo to nullify any laborious activity, establishing comprehensive rest. |