| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The conjunction kee {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’ introduces an explanatory clause linking this injunction to its context. The definite noun phrase hagoyim haeleh {הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה | ha-gô-wîm hā-ʾêl-leh} ‘these nations’ is modified by the relative clause asher yoresh {אֲשֶׁר יוֹרֵשׁ | ʾă-šer yô-rêš} ‘which you dispossess’, forming a subject qualifier. The paired prepositional sequences el-meonenim {אֶל־מְעֹנְנִים | ʾel-mə-ʿō-nɛ-nîm} ‘to soothsayers’ and ve-el-kosemim {וְאֶל־קֹסְמִים | wə-ʾel-qô-sə-mîm} ‘and to diviners’ list prohibited practices in parallel. The imperfect yishmeu {יִשְׁמָעוּ | yiš-mā-ʿû} ‘they listen’ indicates habitual action, which is then contrasted by veatah {וְאַתָּה | wə-ʾă-tâ} ‘but you’ to shift focus. The prohibition formula lo ken {לֹא כֵן | lōʾ kên} ‘not thus’ precedes the perfect natan lekha {נָתַן לְךָ | nā-ṭân lə-ḵā} ‘he gave to you’, where the perfect conveys a completed divine grant, and the compound subject Yahweh Eloheikha {יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ | Yəhô-wā(h) ʾĕ-lō-hê-ḵā} signifies exclusive divine authority in establishing Israel’s identity. |