| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with asher {אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾă-šer} introducing a conditional protasis. The verb yedabber {יְדַבֵּ֨ר | yĕ-ḏab-bēr} ‘speaks’ follows hanavi {הַנָּבִ֜יא | han-nā-wî} ‘the prophet,’ specifying subject and action. The phrase beshem Yahweh {בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֗ה | bə-šēm Yə-hō-wāh} ‘in the name of the LORD’ asserts divine authorization. A parallel double negative with velo {וְלֹֽא | wə-lō} … yihyeh {יִהְיֶ֤ה | yĭh-yā} ‘does not come to pass’ and velo {וְלֹ֣א | wə-lō} … yavo {יָב֔וֹא | yā-vō} ‘does not come’ intensifies the failed prophecy. The pronoun hu {ה֣וּא | hū} ‘it’ refers back to hadavar {הַדָּבָר֙ | had-dā-wār} ‘the thing’ for emphatic repetition. The clause asher lo dibbero Yahweh {אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהוָ֑ה | ʾă-šer lō ḏib-bə-rô Yə-hō-wāh} underscores divine speech-act authenticity. The prepositional phrase bezadon {בְּזָדוֹן֙ | bə-zā-ḏōn} ‘in presumption’ marks the prophet’s arrogance, leading to the jussive lo tagur mimmennu {לֹ֥א תָג֖וּר מִמֶּֽנּוּ | lō tā-gūr mim-mēn-nū} which provides the apodosis ‘you shall not fear him.’ This construction highlights testing prophetic legitimacy and communal protection. |