וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף

   vi-sa-LEF

   and twists
2. clause🔊 וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃

   ve-LO-ti-KAKH SHO-khad KI ha-SHO-khad ye-a-VER ei-NEI kha-kha-MIM vi-sa-LEF div-REI tsa-di-KIM

   and you shall not take a bribe for the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous
3. sentence🔊 לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃

   LO-ta-TEH mish-PAT LO ta-KIR pa-NIM ve-LO-ti-KAKH SHO-khad KI ha-SHO-khad ye-a-VER ei-NEI kha-kha-MIM vi-sa-LEF div-REI tsa-di-KIM

   You shall not pervert justice You shall not show partiality to persons and you shall not take a bribe for the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous

Exegesis

The causal conjunction kî {כִּי | kî} introduces a result clause where ha-shokhad ye‘awer {הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר | ha-šō-ḥaḏ yə-ʿaw-wēr} ‘the bribe blinds’ is followed by einei khakhamim {עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים | ʿê-nê-y ḥa-ḵā-mîm} ‘eyes of wise men,’ and the Piel imperfect we-yisallef {וִיסַלֵּף | wə-yis-sal-lēp} ‘and it twists’ divrei tsaddiqim {דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים | dib-rê ṣad-dî-qîm} ‘words of the righteous.’ The VSO order and repetition of lo emphasize the sequence of prohibitions, and the kî clause highlights the corrupting effect of bribery.