| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The temporal phrase sheshet yamim {שֵׁ֥שֶׁת יָמִים | šê-šeṯ yā-mîm} ‘six days’ is fronted to establish the standard work rhythm. The verb tilqetuhu {תִּלְקְטֻהוּ | til-qə-ṭu-hû} ‘you shall gather it’ is a Piel imperfect second person masculine plural with an object suffix addressing the community. The coordinate prepositional phrase uvayom {וּבַיּוֹם | û-ḇa-yôm} ‘and in the day’ introduces a temporal contrast, with the ordinal hashhevi'i {הַשְּׁבִיעִי | haš-šə-ḇî-ʿî} ‘the seventh’ and appositional shabbat {שַׁבָּת | šab-bāṯ} ‘Sabbath’ specifying its covenantal identity. The negative existential lo yihyehbo {לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־בּוֹ | lōʾ yih-yēh-bō} ‘it shall not be in it’ combines the negative particle with the imperfect verb plus prefixed preposition and pronominal suffix to convey absolute absence. This syntactic arrangement enforces a divinely ordained cycle of work and rest, with apposition underscoring the Sabbath’s uniqueness and fronting highlighting the contrast. |