| 37. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the Hiphil imperfect verb tarḥiv {תַּרְחִיב | tarḥîḇ} ‘you make wide,’ indicating active causation by the speaker’s God. It is followed by the construct noun tsa‘adi {צַעֲדִי | ṣa‘adî} ‘my step,’ with a pronominal suffix marking personal possession. The prepositional pronoun taḥteni {תַּחְתֵּנִי | taḥtênî} ‘under me’ directly links the divine action to personal stability. The conjunction ve-lo {וְלֹא | və-lōʼ} ‘and not’ introduces the negative result clause governed by the Qal perfect verb ma‘adû {מָעֲדוּ | mā‘a·dû} ‘they slipped,’ whose plural subject is karsullay {קַרְסֻלָּי | qərsullāy} ‘my ankles.’ The structure presents a clear cause-and-effect relationship in which divine provision secures the believer’s steps. |