| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The opening formula vav-kho-’āmar {וְכֹֽה־אָמַ֥ר | wə-ḵō-’ā-mār} introduces direct speech by combining “and thus” with the perfect verb. The prepositional infinitive be-kallelō {בְּקַֽלְל֑וֹ | bə-ḵal-lō} functions as a temporal participle (“in cursing him”) that frames the subsequent commands. The Qal imperative ṣē {צֵ֥א | ṣē} is repeated for emphasis, conveying forceful expulsion. The phrase ’îš ha-damim {אִישׁ הַדָּמִים | ’îš ha-dā-miym} literally “man of the bloods” uses a construct to denote one guilty of bloodshed. The paired phrase wə-’îš ha-belyīya‘al {וְאִישׁ הַבְּלִיָּֽעַל | wə-’îš ha-be-lî-ya-‘al} mirrors this syntax to characterize one marked by lawlessness. The verb-first structure and repetition intensify the speaker’s condemnation, and the translation preserves these features by maintaining the temporal participle and the vital imperatives in the English renderings. |