Particle, direct object marker.
This particle serves to indicate that the following noun is the direct object of the verb in the sentence, i.e., it serves to indicate that the following noun is in the accusative case. It has no equivalent in English and is never translated. It appears again in the sixth word in the sentence where it is used with the conjunction we, 'and,' making both hashshamayim and ha‘retz the direct objects.
Open BDB on we ; ‘et
TWOT on 'et.
♥ Exercise for Beginning Hebrew Students.
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