| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional disjunction ki im {כִּי אִם | kî ʾim} ‘but only/except,’ framing exclusive worship at a divinely chosen location. The relative clause ’asher yivḥar Yahweh Eloheikha {אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ | ’ăšer yivḥar Yə-hō-wāh ʾĕlōhêykā} ‘which the LORD your God will choose’ underscores God’s authority in designating the sacred site. The infinitive construct ləšakkēn šəmô {לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ | ləšakkēn šəmô} ‘to cause His name to dwell’ localizes divine presence. The temporal sequence bā‘āreḇ kəḇō’ haššemeš mō‘ēḏ ṣē’təḵā mimməṣrāyim {בָּעָרֶב כְּבֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מוֹעֵד צֵאתְךָ מִמִּצְרָיִם | bā‘āreḇ kəḇō’ haššemeš mō‘ēḏ ṣē’təḵā mimməṣrāyim} ‘in the evening as the sun sets, at the appointed time of your coming out from Egypt’ ties the ritual to Israel’s exodus memory. The English rendering preserves the Hebrew emphasis on divine choice and covenant commemoration. |