| 36. Linguistic Exegesis barukh {בָּרוּךְ | bārūḵ} ‘blessed’ opens with a Qal passive participle attributing praise to Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yəhōwāh}. Elohei Yisrael {אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾĕlōhê Yiśrāʾēl} forms a construct chain (“God of Israel”), stressing covenant identity. The prepositional merism min-ha-olam ve-ad ha-olam {מִן־הָעוֹלָ֖ם וְעַ֣ד הָעוֹלָ֑ם | min-hā-ʿôlām wə-ʿad hā-ʿôlām} conveys eternal duration. The vav-consecutive in va-yomru {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyōʾmərū} introduces the corporate response, where kol-ha-am {כָּל־הָעָם֙ | kol-hā-ʿām} linked by maqqef unites “all the people.” Amen {אָמֵ֔ן | āmēn} functions as communal affirmation, immediately followed by ve-hallel {וְהַלֵּ֖ל | wə-hallēl}, a Pi‘el imperative calling for active praise. English renders the merism as “from everlasting to everlasting,” preserves the narrative sequence with “Then,” and maintains the emphatic imperative for praise. |