| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction-conditional vekhi {וְכִֽי־ | wə-ḥî} ‘and when’, introducing a hypothetical legal scenario. The verb yihyeh {יִהְיֶ֣ה | yiḥyê} ‘there is’ (imperfect) signals potential occurrence of chet {חֵ֛טְא | ḥêṭʾ} ‘sin, offense’ in be’ish {בְאִ֗ישׁ | bə-ʾîš} ‘a man’. The construct chain mishpat-mavet {מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֖וֶת | miš-pāṭ mā-weṯ} forms the legal verdict ‘judgment of death’, and vehumat {וְהוּמָ֑ת | wə-hū-māṯ} (Hofal perfect) conveys the completed execution. The verb vetalita {וְתָלִ֥יתָ | wə-tā-lî-ṯā} (‘you hang’) issues a permissive command for public display, and al-ets {עַל־עֵֽץ | ʿal-ʾêṣ} specifies the wooden structure. English word order mirrors the Hebrew sequence, preserving the emphasis on legal causality and public presentation. |