| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with lo {לֹֽא | lōʾ} in initial position, expressing prohibition, governing the Qal imperfect taʿăseh {תַּעֲשֶׂה | ta-ʿăśeh} ‘you shall make.’ The prepositional phrase lekha {לְךָ | lə-ḵā} ‘for yourself’ personalizes the command. The direct object comprises a coordination of pesel {פֶּסֶל | pe-sel} ‘idol’ and temunah {תְּמוּנָה | tə-mû-nāh} ‘likeness,’ with vechol {וְכָל | wə-ḵol} ‘and any’ expanding scope. Three meristic relative clauses introduced by asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} delineate the three cosmic realms: bashamayim {בַּשָּׁמַיִם | baš-šā-ma-yim} ‘in the heavens’ modified by mimaʿal {מִמַּעַל | mim-ma-ʿal} ‘from above,’ baarets {בָּאָרֶץ | bā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘in the earth’ with mitachat {מִתַּחַת | mit-ta-ḥat} ‘from beneath,’ and bamayim {בַּמַּיִם | bam-ma-yim} ‘in the waters’ with mitachat laarets {מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ | mit-ta-ḥat lā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘from beneath the earth.’ This merism expresses totality by spanning upper, middle, and lower domains, forbidding any crafted object from becoming an object of worship. |