| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’, presenting the rationale. The imperfect yishma‘ {יִשְׁמַע | yiš-maʿ} ‘he will hear’ conveys expectation of royal response. The purpose infinitive le-hatzil {לְהַצִּיל | lə-ḥăṣ-ṣîl} ‘to deliver’ specifies the intended action of deliverance. The direct object et {אֶת | ʾet} marks ’amato {אֲמָתוֹ | ʾă-mā-ṯô} ‘his female servant’, highlighting her vulnerability. The phrase mi-kaf ha-ish {מִכַּף הָאִישׁ | miḵ-kap̄ hā-ʾîš} ‘from the hand of the man’ employs a power metaphor for control. A second purpose infinitive le-hashmid {לְהַשְׁמִיד | lə-haš-mîḏ} ‘to destroy’ indicates the adversary’s intent toward oti {אֹתִי | ʾō-ṯî} ‘me’ and beni {בְּנִי | bə-nî} ‘my son’, united by yachad {יַחַד | ya-ḥaḏ} ‘together’. The final construct min-nachalat Elohim {מִנַּחֲלַת אֱלֹהִים | min-naḥ-ḥă-lāṯ ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘from the inheritance of God’ frames the threatened loss as a divine allotment within the covenant community. |