| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative begins with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōʼmer} ‘and he said’, marking the prophetic address. The paired koh…amar {כֹּה | kō} ‘thus…says’ frames direct speech and underscores divine authority. The prohibitive al tira {אַל־תִּירָא | ʼal tîrāʼ} ‘do not fear’ is linked with mipnei hadvarim {מִפְּנֵי הַדְּבָרִים | minpənê haddəvārîm} ‘because of the words’, creating a reason clause. The relative asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʼăšer} chains two clauses: what you have heard (shamata {שָׁמַעְתָּ | šāməʻtā}) and what they have blasphemed (gidfu {גִּדְּפוּ | giddəpû}). The construct phrase naarei melekh Ashur {נַעֲרֵי מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר | naʻărê mēlekh-ʼAššūr} ‘young men of the king of Assyria’ highlights their subordinate role. English renders the Hebrew VSO order into SVO while preserving the personal object oti {אֹתִי | ʼôtî} ‘Me’ adjacent to the verb of blasphemy, emphasizing offense against God. |