| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the contrastive conjunction ve’avdi {וְעַבְדִּי | və-ʿaḇ-dî} ‘and my servant,’ positioning Caleb {כָּלֵב | Kā-lēḇ} as the focal subject. The causal preposition ekev {עֵקֶב | ʿê-qeḇ} ‘because’ introduces the reason clause, underscoring ruach acheret {רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת | rū-ạ-ḥ ʾă-ḥe-ret} ‘another spirit,’ where the feminine noun–adjective pairing highlights an internal disposition. The Piel verb vayemale {וַיְמַלֵּא | way-ya-mal-lēʾ} intensifies action with the suffix acharai {אַחֲרָי | ʾa-ḥă-rāy} ‘after me,’ emphasizing complete obedience. A shift to the Hifil imperfect in vaha’wiotiv {וַהֲבִיאֹתִיו | wa-hă-vîʾ-ṯîw} ‘and I will bring him’ signals divine causation for entrance into the promised land. The relative clause asher ba shamah {אֲשֶׁר־בָּא־שָׁמָּה | ʾă-šer bā šām-mā(h)} links the land {הָאָרֶץ | hā-ʾā-reṣ} to Caleb’s prior journey. The final Hifil imperfect vezaro yorishenna {וְזַרְעוֹ יוֹרִשֶׁנָּה | wə-za-rô yō-rî-šĕ-nā(h)} ‘and his offspring will inherit it’ conveys legal transfer and enduring possession. |