| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the demonstrative hemmah {הֵמָּה | hemmâ} ‘these’, setting a deictic frame, immediately followed by the construct phrase mey merivah {מֵי מְרִיבָה | mēy mĕrîḇâ} ‘waters of contention’. The relative particle asher {אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾăšer} ‘where’ introduces a modifying clause whose predicate is the perfect verb rabu {רָבוּ | rāḇû} ‘they quarreled’ and whose subject is bnei Yisra'el {בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | bə-nê yiśrāʼēl} ‘sons of Israel’. The direct object marker et {אֶת | ʾet} marks Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yəhôwâ} as the object of dispute. The narrative then shifts with the vav-consecutive Nifal imperfect wayyiqqadesh {וַיִּקָּדֵשׁ | wayyiqqāḏēš} ‘and he was sanctified’, emphasizing divine action, followed by bam {בָּם | bām} ‘among them’ to indicate location. English translation preserves the construct order, relative clause linkage, and the sequential vav-consecutive structure, highlighting the juxtaposition of Israel’s conflict and divine holiness. |