| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew clause begins with gam {גַּם | gam} ‘also,’ which includes Judah in the indictment. The fronted subject Yehudah {יְהוּדָה | yᵊ-hû-dā} is immediately negated by lo {לֹא | lō} followed by the Qal perfect verb shamar {שָׁמַר | šā-mar} ‘kept,’ indicating a completed negative action. The direct object marker et {אֶת | ’et} precedes mitsvot {מִצְוֺת | miṣ-vōt}, ‘commandments,’ under the authority of the compound divine name Yahweh Eloheihem {יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם | Yᵊ-hō-wāh ’ĕ-lō-hê-hem}. The Vav-consecutive imperfect va-yelekhu {וַיֵּלְכוּ | way-yᵊl-kū} introduces the result clause, which contains the prepositional phrase bechukot Yisrael {בְּחֻקּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל | bə-ḥuk-kōt yiś-rā-’ēl} ‘in the statutes of Israel’ and the relative clause asher asu {אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ | ’ă-šer ‘ā-sû} ‘that they made.’ The contrast highlights Judah’s rejection of divine law in favor of Israel’s self-devised regulations. |