| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the subordinating conjunction kî {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’, establishing the causal basis which is negated by lō-yeḥdāl {לֹא־יֶחְדַּל | lō-yeḥdāl} ‘will cease’ (Qal imperfect with negation) to portray an enduring reality of ʾevyyôn {אֶבְיוֹן | ʾĕvyyôn} ‘poor person’ miqqerev {מִקֶּרֶב | miqqerev} ‘from the midst of’ hāʾāreṣ {הָאָרֶץ | hāʾāreṣ} ‘the land’. The transitional phrase ʿal-kēn {עַל־כֵּן | ʿal-kēן} ‘therefore’ introduces the emphatic pronoun ʾănōkî {אָנֹכִי | ʾănōkî} ‘I’, followed by the Piel participle mĕṣavvĕkā {מְצַוְּךָ | mĕṣavvĕkā} ‘commanding you’. The pairing of the infinitive absolute pāṭōaḥ {פָּתֹחַ | pāṭōaḥ} ‘opening’ with the imperfect tippəṭaḥ {תִּפְתַּח | tippəṭaḥ} ‘you shall open’ forms an emphatic exhortation. The sequence of beneficiaries lĕʾāḥîḵā {לְאָחִיךָ | lĕʾāḥîḵā}, laʿăniyyêḵā {לַעֲנִיֶּךָ | laʿăniyyêḵā}, ūleʾăvyyônḵā {וּלְאֶבְיוֹנְךָ | ūleʾăvyyônḵā} in bĕʾǎrṣĕךָ {בְּאַרְצֶךָ | bĕʾǎrṣĕךָ} ‘in your land’ delineates the scope of the commanded generosity. The English renderings preserve these syntactic emphases to convey the perpetual social obligation and direct exhortation. |