| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse initiates with veʾel-haləwîyîm {וְאֶל־הַלְוִיִּ֣ם | wəʾel-haləwîyîm}, combining conjunction, preposition, article, and noun to establish audience. The paired verbs tədabber {תְּדַבֵּר֮ | tədabber} and və’āmarta {וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ | və-’āmarta} introduce direct address imperative instructions. The conditional clause kî-tikḥû {כִּֽי־תִ֠קְחוּ | kî-tikḥû} ‘when you take’ governs the procedural context, followed by the construct chain of bənē-Yisrā’ēl {בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | bənē-Yisrā’ēl} ‘sons of Israel’ and ’et-hamma‘ăśēr {אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֗ר | ’et-hamma‘ăśēr} ‘the tithe’ as direct object. The relative clause ’ašer {אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ’ašer} connects to nāṭattî {נָתַ֧תִּי | nā-ṭattî}. The locative phrase bə-naḥălatkhem {בְּנַחֲלַתְכֶ֑ם | bə-naḥălatkhem} ‘in your inheritance’ specifies entitlement. The Hiphil perfect va-hăremōtem {וַהֲרֵמֹתֶ֤ם | va-hăremōtem} conveys active presentation, leading to the sacrificial designation tə-rūmat {תְּרוּמַ֣ת | tə-rūmat} ‘offering’ followed by the divine name Yə-hō-wāh {יְהוָ֔ה | Yə-hō-wāh} and the numerical specification ma-‘ăśēr {מַעֲשֵׂ֖ר | ma-‘ăśēr} introduced by min-hamma‘ăśēr {מִן־הַֽמַּעֲשֵֽׂר | min-hamma‘ăśēr} ‘from the tithe’. This structure mirrors priestly legal formulae, emphasizing the Levites’ role and divine reception of consecrated portions. |