| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with veshem {וְשֵׁם֩ | wə-šēm} ‘and name’, resuming the narrative flow. The noun phrase ish yisrael {אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | ʾîš yiśrāʾēl} ‘Israelite man’ functions as the topic, followed by the compound participle hamukkeh {הַמֻּכֶּ֗ה | ha-muk-keh} ‘the struck one’, which foregrounds his victim status. A relative clause with asher hukkah {אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֻכָּה֙ | ʾă-šer hu-k-kāh} ‘who was struck’ is marked by the accusative et-ha-midyanit {אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית | ʾet-ha-mid-yā-nîṯ} ‘the Midianite woman’, indicating accompaniment. The name zimri ben salu {זִמְרִ֖י בֶּן־סָל֑וּא | zim-rî ben-sā-lû-ʾā} provides personal identification, and the construct chain nesi beit-av lashimoni {נְשִׂיא בֵֽית־אָ֖ב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִֽי | nə-sîʾ bēt-ʾāḇ la-šim-ʿō-nî} ‘leader of a father’s house of the Simeonite’ integrates social rank and tribal affiliation. This sequence of passive forms and construct chains creates emphasis on communal judgment and lineage. |