| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the prohibitive imperfect form lotachos {לֹא־תָח֥וֹס | lō-tā-ḥōs} ‘you shall not have pity’, where the negative particle lō is prefixed to the verb, underscoring an absolute ban on leniency. The idiom einekha alav {עֵֽינְךָ֖ עָלָ֑יו | ʿê-neḵ-khā ʿā-lāw} ‘your eye upon him’ uses a construct noun with a pronominal suffix to personify mercy as the motion of the eye toward the accused. The conjunctive Piel perfect uviarta {וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֧ | û-bib-bār-tā} ‘and you shall purge’ signals a decisive judicial action aimed at removing bloodguilt. The compound term dam-hanaqi {דַֽם־הַנָּקִ֛י | dam-ha-nā-qî} ‘innocent blood’ intensifies the reproach against the shedding of life. The prepositional phrase mi-yisrael {מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | mi-yis-ra-ʾēl} ‘from Israel’ designates the corporate scope of the law. Finally, ve-tov lakh {וְט֥וֹב לָֽךְ | wə-ṭōv lā-kha} ‘and it will be good for you’ functions as a result clause, where the coordinating wāw expresses a direct consequence linking obedience with communal well-being. |