| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a negative sequential narrative introduced by velo {וְלֹא | wə-lōʾ} ‘and not’ followed by the verbs shame’u {שָׁמֵעוּ | šā-mê-ʾû} ‘they listened’ and vayakshu {וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ | way-yaq-shu} ‘they stiffened,’ the latter in the Qal imperfect with vav consecutive conveying ongoing obstinacy. The idiom hardening the neck, et-orpam {אֶת־עָרְפָּם | ʾet-ʿār-pām} ‘(direct object marker + their neck),’ draws from agrarian imagery of oxen resisting the yoke and signifies refusal to obey. The comparative phrase ke’oref {כְּעֹרֶף | kə-ʿō-rêp} ‘like the neck’ with avotam {אֲבוֹתָם | ʾă-vō-ṯām} ‘their fathers’ parallels the current generation’s rebellion to that of their ancestors, tightening the link between past and present disobedience. The relative clause introduced by asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} ‘who’ and the Hiphil perfect verb he’eminu {הֶאֱמִינוּ | he-ʾĕ-mī-nû} ‘they trusted’ underscores active unbelief. The closing prepositional phrase baYHWH {בַּיהוָה | ba-Yahweh} ‘in the LORD’ and Eloheihem {אֱלֹהֵיהֶם | ʾĕ-lō-hê-hêm} ‘their God’ situates the failure of trust directly against the covenant relationship, emphasizing theological culpability. |