| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’, grounding the prophet’s rebuke in a theological reason: Yahweh’s active oversight. The clause Yahweh einav {יְהוָה עֵינָיו | Yə-hō-wāh ʿênāyw} presents the divine name followed immediately by “His eyes,” an anthropomorphic subject that highlights attentiveness. The participle meshottetot {מְשֹׁטְטוֹת | məšōṭəṭōṯ} ‘ranging about’ depicts continual, ongoing action, reinforced by the scope phrase bekhol-haaretz {בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ | bə-ḵol-hā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘throughout all the earth’. The purpose is expressed by the infinitive with lamed, lehitkhazzek {לְהִתְחַזֵּק | ləhiṯḥazzēq} ‘to show Himself strong / to act powerfully’, with the preposition im {עִם | ʿim} tying His strengthening action to a particular kind of person: those characterized by levav ... shalem {לְבָבָם שָׁלֵם | ləḇāḇām šālēm} ‘a whole/undivided heart’ and oriented elav {אֵלָיו | ʾēlāyw} ‘toward Him’. The discourse then shifts abruptly from description to direct accusation: niskalta {נִסְכַּלְתָּ | niskaltā} ‘you have acted foolishly’, with al-zot {עַל־זֹאת | ʿal-zōʾṯ} specifying the matter at hand. A second ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the consequence, and the existential construction meatta yesh immekha milkhamot {מֵעַתָּה יֵשׁ עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמוֹת | mēʿattāh yēš ʿimməḵā milḥāmōṯ} frames future conflict as an assured reality: “from now on, there will be wars with you.” Major rendering options cluster around lehitkhazzek {לְהִתְחַזֵּק | ləhiṯḥazzēq}, which can be expressed as God “showing Himself strong” (emphasizing His displayed power) or “giving strong support” (emphasizing aid given to the loyal); both arise naturally from the purpose infinitive and its association with the faithful-hearted. |