| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional particle ki {כִּי | kî} ‘if,’ followed by the Hifil imperfect yavaʿer {יְבַעֵר | yə-va-ʿēr} ‘he lets graze; he causes to burn,’ marking a causative action. The meristic pair sadeh {שָׂדֶה | ṣā́deh} ‘field’ and okerem {אֹ־כֶרֶם | ʾō-kerêm} ‘or vineyard’ defines the cultivated property. The conjunction ve-shillakh {וְשִׁלַּח | wə-šillāḥ} ‘and he lets loose’ leads into the resultant Hifil form u-vi-er {וּבִעֵר | u-vi-ʿēr} ‘and it grazes; and it burns,’ emphasizing cause and effect. The construct bi-sedeh acher {בִּשְּׂדֵה אַחֵר | bi-ṣedeh ’āḥēr} ‘in another person’s field’ highlights unauthorized intrusion. Finally, the Piel imperfect yeshallēm {יְשַׁלֵּם | yə-šallēm} ‘he shall pay; he shall make restitution’ concludes the apodosis, prescribing the legal remedy. |