| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ve'atem {וְאַתֶּם | wə-ʾat-tem} ‘and you’, a fronted independent pronoun that marks direct address and adds emphasis before the command. The first clause is a straightforward imperative, chizku {חִזְקוּ | ḥiz-qû} ‘be strong’, calling for resolve. The next clause shifts to prohibition with ve'al {וְאַל | wə-ʾal} followed by yirpu {יִרְפּוּ | yir-pû}, a jussive sense imperfect whose subject is yedeikhem {יְדֵיכֶם | yə-ḏê-ḵem} ‘your hands’; “hands” functions metonymically for capability and sustained action, so “slackening” portrays loss of perseverance. The causal connector ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the motivation: yesh {יֵשׁ | yēš} asserts certainty (“there is”), and the predicate sakhar {שָׂכָר | sā-ḵār} ‘reward’ is further specified by the prepositional phrase lif'ulatkhem {לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶם | lip̄-ʿul-lat-ḵem} ‘for your work’, expressing that recompense corresponds to their deeds. The discourse flow therefore moves from exhortation (positive command + negative restraint) to grounded assurance (cause clause), strengthening the call to perseverance with a stated outcome. |