| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a triad of vav-consecutive verbs—vayachan {וַיָּחָן֩ | way-ya-ḥān} ‘and he was gracious’, vayeraḥamem {וַֽיְרַחֲמֵם֙ | way-ya-ra-ḥa-mēm} ‘and he showed compassion’, and vayifen {וַיִּ֣פֶן | way-yi-pen} ‘and he turned’—to convey a crescendo of divine mercy. The purpose clause lemaʿan berito {לְמַ֣עַן בְּרִית֔וֹ | lə-ma-ʿan bə-rî-ṯô} links God’s actions to His oath to the patriarchs. The paired negatives velo {וְלֹ֤א | wə-lōʾ} + avah {אָבָה֙ | ʾā-vāh} in Qal perfect denote unwillingness, while the Hiphil perfect velo-hishlikham {וְלֹֽא־הִשְׁלִיכָ֥ם | wə-lōʾ-hish-li-kām} intensifies refusal to expel them. The phrase me-al-panav {מֵֽעַל־פָּנָ֖יו | mē-ʿal-pā-nāw} uses a spatial metaphor for proximity, and the adverbial ad-attah {עַד־עָֽתָּה׃ | ʿad-ʿa-ṭ-ṭāh} extends divine protection to the present. |