| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the adversative particle akh {אַ֣ךְ | ăkh} ‘however’, signaling a contrast with preceding permissions. The paired participial phrases mimmăʿălê haggērāh {מִמַּעֲלֵי הַגֵּרָה | mimmăʿălê haggērāh} ‘from those that bring up the cud’ and ûmimmapphrīsê happarsāh {וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵי הַפַּרְסָה | ûmimmapphrīsê happarsāh} ‘and from those that divide the hoof’ set dual criteria. The noun haššûʿâh {הַשְּׁסוּעָה | ha-ššûʿâh} specifies the required hoof characteristic. Direct-object markers in et-haggāmāl {אֶת־הַגָּמָל | ʾet-haggāmāl}, wə-ʾet-hāʾarnēvēṯ {וְאֶת־הָאַרְנֶבֶת | wə-ʾet-hāʾarnēvēṯ}, and wə-ʾet-haššāp̄ān {וְאֶת־הַשָּׁפָן | wə-ʾet-haššāp̄ān} identify the prohibited species. The conjunction kîmaʿălē {כִֽי־מַעֲלֵ֧ה | kîmaʿălē} ‘because brings up’ introduces the rationale, followed by the verbless clause gērāh hēmāh ûparsāh lōʾ hiphrīsû {גֵרָה הֵמָּה וּפַרְסָה לֹא הִפְרִיסוּ | gērāh hēmāh ûparsāh lōʾ hiphrīsû} ‘although they bring up the cud, they do not divide the hoof’. The parallel structure of ṭəmēʾîm {טְמֵאִים | ṭəmēʾîm} ‘unclean’ with the pronoun hēm {הֵם | hēm} ‘they’ underscores ritual impurity. English reorders participles into active clauses and streamlines the dual criteria to maintain the Hebrew’s precise logical and theological emphasis. |