| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The phrase opens with the prepositional phrase lematteh {לְמַטֵּה | lə-mat-teh} ‘for tribe’, where the prefixed lamed and construct state mark affiliation and linkage to vinyamin {בִנְיָמִן | bîn-yǎ-mîn} ‘Benjamin’, specifying tribal identity. Next palti {פַּלְטִי | pǎl-ti} ‘Palti’ identifies the individual, followed by the construct chain ben-raphu {בֶּן־רָפֽוּא | ben-rā-phûʾ} ‘son of Raphu’, which directly connects the son to his father. This nominal sequence, typical in Hebrew genealogical and enumerative lists, employs construct structures to express tribal and paternal relationships. |