| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction ki {כִּי | ki} ‘for’, which introduces a causal clause. The direct object marker et {אֶת | et} ‘direct object marker’ signals that ha-bekhor {הַבְּכֹר | ha-bekhor} ‘the firstborn’ is the object of the Hiphil verb yakir {יַכִּיר | yakîr} ‘he shall acknowledge’. The construct chain ben ha-senu’ah {בֶּן־הַשְּׂנוּאָה | ben ha-senu’ah} ‘son of the unloved’ identifies the specific heir. The infinitive latet {לָתֶת | lā-teṯ} ‘to give’ with the suffix lo {לוֹ | lo} ‘to him’ expresses the prescribed action. The noun phrase pi shenayim {פִּי שְׁנַיִם | pî shenayim} ‘mouth of two’ functions as an idiomatic expression for a double inheritance. The prepositional phrase bechol asher yimmatzê lo {בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא ל֑וֹ | bechol ʾă-sher yimmatzê lo} ‘in all that is found to him’ defines the inheritance scope. A second ki {כִּי | ki} ‘for’ clause provides rationale, stating that he is reshit ono {רֵאשִׁית אֹנוֹ | rê-šît ʾō-nô} ‘first of his strength’, a figurative description of primogeniture. The verse concludes with mishpat ha-bekhorah {מִשְׁפָּט הַבְּכֹרָה | miš-pāṭ ha-bə-kho-rāh} ‘right of the firstborn’, which denotes the legal entitlement in Israelite inheritance law. This structure of alternating verbs, infinitives, and relative clauses is rendered in English with a main obligation clause followed by explanatory and causal clauses, maintaining the formal legal tone and logical sequence. |