| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the prohibitive particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} ‘not’, framing the ensuing command. The verb yiksheh {יִקְשֶׁה | yiqšeh} ‘it will be hard’ (Qal imperfect) conveys subjective difficulty. The idiom be’eineka {בְעֵינֶךָ | bə-ʿêynəkāh} ‘in your eyes’ designates personal perspective. The temporal clause beshallechacha {בְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ | bə-šallêḥakāh} ‘when you send away’ (Pi’el infinitive construct) introduces the act of release. The phrase oto chofshi {אֹתוֹ חָפְשִׁי | ʼōtô ḥōp̄šî} ‘him free’ emphasizes complete emancipation. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kī} ‘for, because’ introduces the reason: the evaluative phrase mishneh sechar sachir avadekha {מִשְׁנֶה שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר עֲבָדְךָ | mišnêh seḥār sāḵîr ʻăvâdekāh} ‘double the wage of a hired worker your servant’. The covenant promise begins with uverakheka {וּבֵֽרַכְךָ | ū-bē-rakĕkāh} ‘and he will bless you’, with Yahweh Eloheikha {יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ | Yəhōwāh ʼĕlōhêkāh} as subject. The relative clause bekhol asher ta’aseh {בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה | bĕ-kōl ʼăšer taʿăśêh} ‘in all that you do’ ties divine blessing to the scope of human action. |