| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the subject Pinchas {פִּֽינְחָס | Pīnḥās}. An appositional chain uses ben {בֶּן | bĕn} ‘son of’ linking Elazar {אֶלְעָזָר | ʾĕlʿāzār} and Aharon {אַהֲרֹן | ʾăhărōn} within ha-kohen {הַכֹּהֵן | ha-kōhēn} ‘the priest.’ The Hiphil perfect heshiv {הֵשִׁיב | hēšîv} ‘turned back’ conveys causation. The direct object marker et {אֶת | ʾet} introduces chamati {חֲמָתִי | ḥă-mā-ṯî} ‘my wrath,’ followed by the clause me-al bene Israel {מֵעַל בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל | me-ʿāl bə-nē Yīs-rā-ʼēl} ‘from upon the sons of Israel.’ The infinitival et-qīnāʼṯî {אֶת־קִנְאָתִי | ʾet-qīn-ā-ʼṯî} ‘with my zeal’ and bə-to-kām {בְּתוֹכָם | bə-to-kām} ‘among them’ express motive. Finally, wə-lōʾ kil-lî-tî {וְלֹא־כִלִּיתִי | wə-lōʾ kil-lî-tî} ‘and I did not consume’ resumes bene Israel bə-qīn-ā-ʼṯî, highlighting divine restraint born of zeal. |