| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew conditional particle ki {כִּי | kî} introduces a protasis establishing the legal scenario. The Qal imperfect yitten {יִתֵּן | yittên} conveys a general act of entrustment, with lishmor {לִשְׁמֹר | lišmôr} functioning as an infinitive of purpose ‘to keep.’ The narrative shifts to a realized offense marked by the vav-consecutive Pual vegunnav {וְגֻנַּב | wə-gunnāḇ} ‘and it is stolen.’ The prepositional construct mibbet haish {מִבֵּית הָאִישׁ | mibbêṯ hāʾîš} specifies the location of the theft. A secondary conditional im {אִם | ʾim} plus the Nifal imperfect yimmatse {יִמָּצֵא | yimmāṣêʾ} ‘if it is found’ introduces the apodosis. The Piel imperfect yishallem {יְשַׁלֵּם | yəšallêm} ‘he shall pay’ enacts the judicial penalty, with the dual form shenayim {שְׁנַיִם | šĕnayîm} conveying a twofold restitution. |