| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse comprises two consecutive speeches introduced by vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said.’ In the first speech the compound volitional structure etze {אֵצֵא | ’ēṣēʼ} ‘I will go out’ + vehayiti {וְהָיִיתִי | wəhāyîtî} ‘I will be’ expresses transformation into the predicate noun ruach sheker {רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר | rūaḥ šēqer} ‘deceiving spirit,’ with befi {בְּפִי | bə-pî} marking the sphere ‘in the mouth,’ and kol-neviav {כָּל־נְבִיאָ֑יו | kol-nəwē’āyw} ‘of all his prophets’ in construct with pronominal suffix. In the second speech the subject shifts to Yahweh, indicated by the second vayomer, authorizing the deception. The imperfect tefateh {תְּפַתֶּה | təpattēh} ‘you shall entice’ conveys purpose, followed by vegamtukhal {וְגַם־תּוּכָ֔ל | wə-gam-tûḵāl} ‘and also you are able,’ which affirms capability, leading to the coordinated imperatives tze {צֵא | ṣēʼ} ‘go out’ and vaaseh-ken {וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן | wa-ʿăśeh-kên} ‘do so’ combining permission and command. |