| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The conditional conjunction ki {כִּי־ | kî} introduces a legal protasis setting a hypothetical sale. The Nifal imperfect yimmāḵēr {יִמָּכֵ֨ר | yimmā·ḵêr} conveys a passive transaction “is sold.” The dative construction ləḵā ʾāḥîḵā haʿîvrî {לְךָ אָחִיךָ הָעִבְרִי | lə·ḵā ʾā·ḥî·ḵā ha·ʿî·brî} expresses possession. Vav-consecutive waʿăḇāḏəḵā {וַעֲבָדְךָ | wa·ʿă·ḇā·ḏə·ḵā} with the Qal perfect marks sequential action “and he shall serve.” The temporal phrases ūbaššānāh {וּבַשָּׁנָה | ū·ḇaš·šā·nāh} and the construct haššəḇîʿîṯ šānāh {הַשְּׁבִיעִת שָׁנָה | ha·ššə·ḇî·ʿîṯ šānāh} frame the servitude period. The Piel imperfect təšallēḥennū {תְּשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ | tə·šal·le·ḥe·nnū} issues the release command, reinforced by the adjective ḥāpšî {חָפְשִׁי | ḥā·pə·šî}, and the prepositional phrase mēʿimməḵā {מֵעִמָּךְ | mē·ʿim·mā·ḵa} specifies the origin of departure. |