| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with koh {כֹּה | kō} ‘thus’, a discourse marker introducing direct speech. The royal proclamation formula amar ha-melekh {אָמַר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | ’ā-mar ha-me-lekh} follows. The prohibitive clause al-yashshi lakhem {אַל־יַשִּׁיא לָכֶם | ’al-yaš-šîʾ la-khem} combines the negative particle with the Hiphil imperfect of nasha {נָשָׁא | nā-šāʾ} ‘to deceive’ to form a causative negative imperative. The conjunction ki lo yukhal {כִּי לֹא יוּכַל | ki lō yū-khal} introduces the rationale clause. The Hiphil infinitive construct le-hatsil etkhem {לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם | lə-ḥat-ṣîl ’et-khem} ‘to deliver you’ is followed by the prepositional phrase miyado {מִיָּדֽוֹ | mi-yā-dō} ‘from his hand’. The shift from third-person reference to Hezekiah to direct admonition of the audience heightens the rhetorical challenge. |