| 41. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive narrative marker vayehi {וַיְהִ֣י | wayəhî} ‘and it came to pass,’ indicating sequential action. The temporal adverbial babboker {בַבֹּ֔קֶר | bā-bō-qer} ‘in the morning’ establishes timing. A coordinated action sequence with vayyiqqaḥ {וַיִּקַּ֤ח | vayyiqqaḥ} ‘and he took’ and vayya‘ălêhû {וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֖הוּ | vayya‘ălêhû} ‘and he brought him up’ depicts Balak’s initiative. The direct object marker ʾeṯ {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ-} marks Bilaam {בִּלְעָ֔ם | Bil-ʿām} as the definite object. The construct bamot Baal {בָּמוֹת בָּעַל | bā-mōṯ Bā‘al} denotes the cultic high places. Finally, the clause vayyārê’ misham ketzeh ha-ʿām {וַיַּ֥רְא מִשָּׁ֖ם קְצֵ֥ה הָעָֽם | vayyārê’ miš-šām qe-tse hā-ʿām} ‘and he saw from there the edge of the people’ uses spatial orientation to emphasize Balaam’s limited view and the narrative’s theological nuance of restricted insight. |