| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional conjunction vechi {וְכִי | wə-ḵî} ‘and when’ introducing a casuistic protasis. The Niphal imperfect yinnatsu {יִנָּצוּ | yi-nā-ṣû} ‘they fight’ is followed by the sequential perfect venagfu {וְנָגְפוּ | wə-nāg-pû} ‘they strike’. The construct phrase ishah harah {אִשָּׁה הָרָה | ʼî-šāh hā-rāh} ‘pregnant woman’ functions as direct object. The perfect veyatse’u {וְיָצְאוּ | wə-yā-ṣə-ʼû} ‘they go out’ introduces the result clause of premature birth. The exception ve-lo yihyeh ason {וְלֹא יִהְיֶה אָסוֹן | wə-lō yiḥ-yē-h ā-sôn} ‘but there is no harm’ sets the condition for penalty. The infinitive absolute anosh plus imperfect ye’anesh {עָנוֹשׁ יֵעָנֵשׁ | ʿā-nôš yê-ʿānêš} ‘surely he will be punished’ intensifies the penalty. The comparative clause ka-asher yashit alav {כַאֲשֶׁר יָשִׁית עָלָיו | ka-ʼă-šer yā-šît ʿā-lāyw} ‘as he sets upon him’ specifies the amount, and the prefixed verb venatan biflilim {וְנָתַן בִּפְלִלִים | wə-nā-tān bi-plî-lîm} ‘and he gives in judgments’ describes the execution by judges. |