| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative momentum is driven by two vav consecutive verbs, wayyaas {וַיַּ֣עַשׂ | way·ya·ʿaś} ‘and he did’ and wayyaal {וַיַּ֛עַל | way·ya·ʿăl} ‘and he offered,’ which link sequential actions. The clause introduced by the comparison particle kaasher amar Balaam {כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר בִּלְעָם | ka·ʾa·šer ʾā·mar bil·ʿā·m} acts as an adverbial modifier of manner, specifying that Balak’s actions mirror Balaam’s pronouncement. The Hiphil stem of wayyaal underscores causation in the sacrificial act. The coordinated nouns par {פָּ֥ר | pārr} and ayil {אַיִל | ʾă·yil} conform to typical sacrificial pairings, while the prepositional phrase bamizbeach {בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ | bā·miz·bê·a·ḥ} situates the ritual on the altar. In translating to English, the Hebrew vav consecutive and coordination yield a tightly linked subject–verb–object sequence, preserved by rendering Balak as the agent of each successive action. |