| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional protasis veim {וְאִם־ | wə-ʾim} introducing a hypothetical legal scenario. The cardinal-demonstrative shelosh-elleh {שֵּׁלֹשׁ־אֵלֶּה | šĕlōš-ʾēlleh} ‘these three’ refers to specified marital duties. The Qal imperfect yaaseh {יַעֲשֶׂה | ya·ʿă·śêh}, negated by lo {לֹא | lōʾ}, marks the husband’s nonperformance, with lah {לָהּ | lāh} indicating the wife as beneficiary. The apodosis employs the vav-consecutive perfect veyatsaah {וְיָצְאָה | wə-yā·ṣā·ʾāh} ‘and she shall go out’, modified by khinnam {חִנָּם | ḥinnām} ‘free’, signaling unconditional release. The existential ein kasef {אֵין כָּסֶף | ʾēn kā·sep̄} ‘there is no silver’ underscores the absence of monetary compensation. This protasis–apodosis legal pattern, structured by the chiastic pairing of duty (does…for her) and freedom (goes out…no silver), balances obligation and release. |