| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the imperative re'u {רְאוּ | rə-ʾû} ‘see’, introducing an exhortation to perceive the reason. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘because’ leads into a causal clause explaining that Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} has given you the Sabbath, emphasizing it as a divine gift. The phrase al-ken {עַל־כֵּן | ʿal kēn} ‘therefore’ transitions to the provision clause, where the participle noten {נֹתֵן | nō-ṯēn} ‘giving’ with the independent pronoun hu {הוּא | hû} marks ongoing divine action. The temporal expression ba-yom ha-shishi {בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי | ba-yôm ha-šiš-šî} specifies timing, and the noun phrase lechem yomayim {לֶחֶם יוֹמָיִם | le-ḥem yô-mā-yim} ‘bread for two days’ denotes sufficient provision. The second clause issues direct commands: the imperative shevu {שְׁבוּ | šə-bû} ‘remain’ with ish takhtav {אִישׁ תַּחְתָּיו | ʾîš taḥ-tāw} ‘each person in his place’, and the prohibition al yetse ish {אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ | ʾal yē-ṣēʾ ʾîš} ‘do not let any person go out’ reinforced by mim-mekomo {מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹ | mim-mə-qō-mô} ‘from his place’ and the temporal frame ba-yom ha-shvi'i {בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי | ba-yôm ha-šə-bî-ʿî} ‘on the seventh day’. The structure moves from recognition to causation, provision, and obedience, reflecting the theological rationale for Sabbath observance. |