| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with vayhi {וַיְהִ֗י | wayhî} ‘and it happened’, a discourse marker that introduces an explanatory notice in the narrative. The causal linkage is then made explicit by ki-khateu {כִּֽי־חָטְא֤וּ | kî-ḥāṭʾû} ‘because they sinned’, placing Israel’s guilt as the ground for what follows in the chapter. The object of the offense is expressed with the preposition lamed in laYHWH {לַיהוָ֣ה | layəhōwāh} plus eloheihem {אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾĕlōhêhem}, a relational formula (“the LORD, their God”) that heightens the betrayal. The participial phrase hamaaleh {הַמַּעֲלֶ֤ה | hammaʿălêh} ‘the One bringing up’ functions like a relative/appositional descriptor of the LORD, and it carries its own complement otam {אֹתָם֙ | ʾōtām} ‘them’, spotlighting divine initiative in deliverance. The rescue is detailed by a chain of prepositional phrases: meeretz mitsrayim {מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם | mēʾereṣ miṣrayim} ‘from the land of Egypt’ and mitachat yad paro melech-mitsrayim {מִתַּ֕חַת יַ֖ד פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָ֑יִם | mittaḥat yad parʿōh meleḵ-miṣrayim} ‘from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt’, where “hand” is an idiom for oppressive control. The verse ends with a new wayyiqtol verb vayiru {וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ | wayyirʾû} ‘and they feared/revered’, moving from cause to consequent behavior: despite being delivered, they directed reverence toward elohim akherim {אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים | ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm} ‘other gods’, framing the sin specifically as idolatrous allegiance. |