| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the causal conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for, because’, which introduces the rationale for Sabbath observance. The construct phrase sheshet yamim {שֵׁשֶׁת־יָמִים | šē-šeṯ-yā-mîm} ‘six days’ appears before the verb asah {עָשָׂה | ʿā-śāh} ‘he made’, emphasizing the timeframe of divine activity. A meristic series of direct objects—et ha-shamayim {אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם | ʾeṯ-haš-šā-mā-yim}, ve’et ha-arets {וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ | wə-ʾeṯ-hā-ʾā-reṣ}, et ha-yam {אֶת־הַיָּם | ʾeṯ-hay-yām}, ve’et kol asher bam {וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּם | wə-ʾeṯ-kāl-ʾă-šer-bām}—lists creation domains inclusively. The narrative then shifts with the wayyiqtol vayyanach {וַיָּנַח | way-yā-naḥ} ‘and he rested’, temporally specified by ba-yom ha-shevi‘i {בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י | bay-yōm haš-šə-bî-ʿî} ‘on the seventh day’. The inferential al-ken {עַל־כֵּן | ʿal-kēn} ‘therefore’ introduces the consecratory clause where berakh {בֵּרַךְ | bē-raḵ} ‘he blessed’ and vayekadshehu {וַיְקַדְּשֵֽׁהוּ | way-qad-šê-hû} ‘and he sanctified’ frame the divine act of setting apart yom ha-shabbat {יוֹם הַשַׁבָּת | yōm haš-šab-bāṯ} ‘the Sabbath day’. The English rendering smooths clause order while maintaining logical and theological coherence between creation and Sabbath consecration. |