| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction and vehayetah {וְהָיְתָ֥ה | wəhāyṯāh} ‘and it shall be’, introducing a legal stipulation. The construct chain lekhukkat olam {לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם | ləḥuqqāṯ ʿōlām} ‘statute forever’ emphasizes perpetuity. The coordinated participial clauses ūmazzēh {וּמַזֵּ֤ה | ūmazzēh} and wəhannōgēaʿ {וְהַנֹּגֵ֙עַ֙ | wəhannōgēaʿ} set out two related actions linked by the conjunction vav. The genitival chains mēy-hanniddāh {מֵֽי־הַנִּדָּה֙ | mēy-hanniddāh} and bəmeihanniddāh {בְּמֵ֣י־הַנִּדָּ֔ה | bəmeihanniddāh} specify the ritual water. The imperfects yekhabbēś {יְכַבֵּ֣ס | yekhabbēś} and yiṭmåʾ {יִטְמָ֖א | yiṭmåʾ} express obligation and resultant impurity. The prepositional phrase ʿad-hāʿāreḇ {עַד־הָעָֽרֶב | ʿad-hāʿāreḇ} ‘until the evening’ marks duration. English renders participles as active agents to preserve clarity while maintaining the ritual structure. |