| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the causal conjunction al-ken {עַל־כֵּן | ʿal-ken} ‘therefore’, linking this decree to the previous statutes. The emphatic pronoun anokhi {אָנֹכִי | ʾănōkhî} ‘I’ introduces the speaker with authority. The Piel participle metsavvekha {מְצַוְּךָ | mə-ṣav-və-ḵā} ‘I am commanding you’ together with the infinitive leemor {לֵאמֹר | lê-ʾā-mōr} ‘to say’ forms a formulaic marker of direct speech. The noun phrase shalosh arim {שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים | šā-lôš ʿā-rîm} ‘three cities’ functions as the direct object, with the numeral preceding the noun as is typical in Hebrew. The Hiphil verb tavdil {תַּבְדִּיל | taḇ-dîl} ‘you shall set apart’ indicates a causative designation, and the suffix lakh {לָךְ | lā-ḵ} ‘for yourself’ marks the beneficiary. The structure highlights the speaker’s authoritative address and the imperative nature of the command, which is reflected by rendering the Piel participle as a continuous English verb and preserving the causative force of the Hiphil. |