| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav consecutive vattiten {וַתִּתֵּן | vat-tī-tên} ‘and you gave’, marking sequential action. The construct phrase amkha Yisrael {עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʿam-mə-kha yiś-rā-ʾēl} ‘Your people Israel’ denotes membership, reinforced by the prepositional lekha {לְךָ | lə-khā} ‘to You’. The expression leʿam ad ʿōlam {לְעָם עַד־עוֹלָם | lə-ʿām ʿăd-ʿō-lām} ‘as an enduring people’ establishes perpetual covenant. The clause wəʾattāh Yə-hō-wāh hā-yî-tā {וְאַתָּה יְהוָה הָיִיתָ | wə-ʾattāh Yə-hō-wāh hā-yî-tā} ‘and You, LORD, have been’ shifts focus to divine self-identification, and the infinitive lēʾĕlōhîm {לֵאלֹהִים | lē-ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘as God’ completes the relational transformation. The parallel structure links divine gifting with divine identity, underscoring the covenant bond. |