| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the sequential narrative marker vav-consecutive on vayya'avdu {וַיַּֽעַבְד֖וּ | wayyaʿaḇdū} ‘and they served’, which portrays continued idolatry. The definite noun hagillulim {הַגִּלֻּלִ֑ים | ha·gillû·lîm} ‘the idols’ signals specific objects of worship. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾă·šer} introduces the subordinate clause containing the divine prohibition. The verb amar {אָמַ֤ר | ʾā·mar} ‘said’ links directly to the name Yahweh {יְהוָה֙ | Yahweh}, and lahem {לָהֶ֔ם | lā·hem} ‘to them’ identifies Israel as the audience. The particles lo {לֹ֥א | lō} ‘not’ and ta’asu {תַעֲשׂ֖וּ | ta·ʿă·śû} ‘you shall do’ form a forceful Hebrew prohibition. The direct-object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} precedes hadavar {הַדָּבָר | ha·dā·ḇār} ‘the thing’, and hazeh {הַזֶּה׃ | ha·zēh} ‘this’ pinpoints the forbidden action. In English, the main clause “they served the idols” is followed by the subordinate prohibition to preserve the original emphasis. |