| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive uva {וּבָא | ū-bāʾ} ‘and has come’, indicating sequential narrative flow. The compound subject ha’ot vehamofet {הָאוֹת וְהַמּוֹפֵת | hā-ʾôt wə-hammôp̄eṯ} ‘the sign and the wonder’ is formed by two nouns joined by vav, emphasizing the authenticity of the phenomenon. The relative clause asher dibber eilekha {אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ | ʾăšer dibber ʾê-lê-ḵā} ‘which he spoke to you’ qualifies the miraculous signs and anticipates direct speech. The infinitive construct lemor {לֵאמֹר | lēʾāmor} ‘to say’ functions as a bridge to the prophetic exhortation. The cohortative nelekhah venaavdem {נֵלְכָה וְנַעַבְדֵּם | nēleḵā wǝ-nāʿăḇ-dēm} ‘let us go and let us serve’ expresses joint volition inviting collective apostasy. The prepositional phrase acharei elohim acherim {אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים | ʾaḥărê ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm} ‘after other gods’ marks idolatrous pursuit, further specified by the negative relative clause asher lo yedatam {אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדַעְתָּם | ʾăšer lōʾ yᵊḏaʿ-tām} ‘which you have not known’, emphasizing forbidden novelty. The syntax preserves Hebrew clause order, maintaining the conditional protasis and the transition to direct speech without reordering. |