| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The oracle opens with the formula kōh {כֹּה | kōh} ‘thus’ followed by amar {אָמַר | ʾā-mar} ‘says’, signaling a divine pronouncement. The name Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} ‘LORD’ asserts supreme authority. The expression hinnēnî {הִנְנִי | hin-nē-nî} ‘behold me’ demands immediate attention. Mē-vîʾ {מֵבִיא | mē-vîʾ} ‘bringing’ introduces the action, and rā-ʿāh {רָעָה | rā-ʿāh} ‘disaster’ identifies the coming judgment. The paired phrases ʾel-ham-mā-qôm {אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם | ʾel-ham-mā-qôm} ‘on this place’ and və-ʿal-yō-šə-ḇāw {וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו | və-ʿal-yō-šə-ḇāw} ‘and on its inhabitants’ delimit the proclamation’s scope. The direct object marker ʾēt {אֵת | ʾēt} introduces kol-dib-rê ha-sē-per {כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר | kol-dib-rê ha-sē-per} ‘all the words of the book’, further defined by the relative clause ʾa-šer qā-rāʾ me-lekh Yə-hū-dāh {אֲשֶׁר קָרָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה | ʾa-šer qā-rāʾ me-lekh Yə-hū-dāh} ‘that the king of Judah has read’. This structure foregrounds divine initiative and ensures the prophecy’s fulfillment. |