| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The conditional protasis begins with im {אִם | ʾîm} ‘if’, marking a legal scenario. The prepositional phrase bammacheret {בַּמַּחֶרֶת | bammaḥeret} ‘in the act of breaking in’ combines be- + definite article with a feminine singular absolute noun to signal an ongoing intrusion. The apodosis chain yimmatse {יִמָּצֵא | yimmāṣēʾ} ‘he is found’, wehukkah {וְהֻכָּה | wəhukkāh} ‘and he is struck’, and vamet {וָמֵת | vāmêt} ‘and he dies’ consists of a Niphal imperfect followed by two vav-consecutive perfect forms, conveying immediate legal consequence. The phrase en lo damim {אֵין לוֹ דָּמִים | ʾên lô dāmîm} uses the ʾêyn + lō + noun construction to express exemption from liability. The Hebrew SVO ordering and vav-consecutive sequence have been rendered into English to preserve causal relationships and legal force. |