| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with veamarta {וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ | wə-ʾāmar-tā} ‘and you shall say’, introducing Ezekiel’s prophetic directive. The formula kôh amar Adonai Yahweh {כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִ֗ה | kō-ʾāmar ʾădōnāy yəhōwî} ‘thus says the Lord GOD’ pairs the divine title with the covenant name to assert ultimate authority. The interjection hoy {הוֹי | hōy} ‘woe’ signals impending judgment. The Piel infinitive limtapperot kesatot {לִמְתַפְּרוֹת֨ כְּסָת֜וֹת | lim-tap-pə-rōṯ kə-sā-tōṯ} denotes an intentional ritual of sewing charms, paralleled by the participial clause veosot hammispachot al rosh kol komah {וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת הַמִּסְפָּחוֹת֛ עַל־רֹאשׁ כָּל־קוֹמָה | və-ʿō-sōṯ ham-mis-pā-ḥōṯ ʿal-rōʾš kol-qō-māh} ‘making bands upon each head’. The infinitive letzoded nefashot {לְצוֹדֵ֣ד נְפָשׁ֑וֹת | lə-ṣō-dēḏ nə-p̄ā-šōṯ} conveys a predatory metaphor ‘to hunt souls’. The rhetorical question tetzodednah leami unephashot lachenah techayyenah {תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹת לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה | tə-ṣō-dēḏ-nāh lə-ʿam-mî u-nə-p̄ā-šōṯ lā-ḵē-nāh tə-ḥay-yē-nāh} contrasts exploiting my people’s lives with preserving lives for yourselves, underscoring the moral indictment. |