| 33. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with az {אָז | ʾāz} ‘then’, marking a temporal shift into the prophetic narrative. The verb yernannu {יְרַנְּנ֖וּ | yǝrannənû} ‘they will sing for joy’ in the Piel imperfect conveys intensified celebration. The construct phrase atsei haya’ar {עֲצֵ֣י הַיָּ֑עַר | ăṣê hayyaʿar} ‘trees of the forest’ frames creation as witness to divine action. The prepositional phrase milifnei Yahweh {מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה | mīl-p̄ə-nê Yəhōwāh} ‘before the LORD’ situates the rejoicing in God’s presence. The conjunction ki-ba {כִּי־בָ֖א | kī-bāʾ} ‘for He has come’ plus the infinitive lishpot {לִשְׁפּ֥וֹט | lišpôṭ} ‘to judge’ links divine arrival with the act of judging, and the marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet-} identifies ha’aretz {הָאָֽרֶץ | hāʾāreṣ} ‘the earth’ as the domain of His verdict. |