| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wa-yō-mer} ‘and he said’, signalling direct speech. The phrase el-bilam {אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם | ʾel-bil-ʿām} identifies Balaam as the addressee. The interrogative meh {מֶה | mē} ‘what’ introduces an accusatory clause with asita {עָשִׂיתָ | ʿāśî-tā} ‘you have done’ and the dative li {לִי | lī} ‘to me’ forming the object. The Qal infinitive construct laqov {לָקֹ֤ב | lā-qōḇ} ‘to curse’ expresses purpose toward oyvai {אֹיְבַי֙ | ʼō-yĕ-vāy} ‘my enemies’. The perfect lekachtikha {לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָ | lə-ḵaḥ-tî-ṯāḵ} ‘I have taken you’ recalls Balak’s prior action. The interjection vehinneh {וְהִנֵּ֖ה | wə-hin-nē} ‘and behold’ marks a result clause intensified by the Piel perfect berakhta {בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ | bē-rāḵ-tā} plus infinitive absolute barekh {בָרֵֽךְ | ba-rēḵ}, an emphatic doubling conveying “you have surely blessed.” Each reconstruction preserves the Hebrew’s purpose–result and complaint–outcome structure. |