| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the negative particle lo {לֹא | lō} ‘not’, introducing a rebuke. The perfect verb alithem {עֲלִיתֶם | ʿă-lî-tem} ‘you have gone up’ with ba-peratzot {בַּפְּרָצ֔וֹת | bap-pə-rā-ṣōṯ} ‘in the breaches’ depicts an unfulfilled defensive action. The vav-consecutive va-tigderu {וַתִּגְדְּרוּ | wa-tig-də-rū} ‘and you built’ linked to gader {גָדֵר | gā-ḏêr} ‘wall’ underscores the parallel failure. The construct al-beit Yisrael {עַל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʿal bêṯ yiś-rā-ʾêl} ‘for the house of Israel’ designates the community at risk. The infinitive laʿamod {לַעֲמֹד | la-ʿă-mōḏ} ‘to stand’ expresses purpose, completed by ba-milchamah {בַּמִּלְחָמָה | bam-mil-ḥā-māh} ‘in the battle’ and be-yom Yahweh {בְּיוֹם יְהוָה | bə-yōm Yə-hō-wāh} ‘on the day of the LORD’, conveying eschatological urgency. The Hebrew parallelism and vav-constructions highlight two neglected duties held in tension. |