| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the prohibitive particle lo {לֹא | lō} and the Hiphil imperfect tatteh {תַטֶּה | taṯ-teh} ‘pervert’ governing mishpat {מִשְׁפָּט | miš-pāṭ} ‘justice.’ A second lo {לֹא | lō} governs the Hiphil imperfect takkîr {תַכִּיר | tak-kîr} ‘show favor’ with panim {פָּנִים | pā-nîm} ‘faces’ indicating partiality. The coordinating we-lo {וְלֹא | wə-lō} plus Qal imperfect tiqqakh {תִקַּח | tiq-qāḥ} introduces the prohibition against shokhad {שֹׁחַד | šō-ḥaḏ} ‘bribe.’ 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. |