| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the disjunctive term o {אוֹ | ʾô} ‘or,’ introducing an alternative judgment scenario. The imperfect stem in ʾăšalláḥ {אֲשַׁלַּ֖ח | ʾă-šal-láḥ} ‘I send’ establishes the protasis of a conditional clause. The phrase ha-ʾāreṣ ha-hî {הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֑יא | hā-ʾā-reṣ ha-hî} ‘that land’ is emphasized by the demonstrative ha-hî. The conjunction wə- in wə-šā-pakh-tî {וְשָׁפַכְתִּ֨י | wə-šā-pakh-tî} ‘and I pour out’ links the apodosis, with the perfect expressing a completed action in a logical sequence. The object ḥă-mā-tî {חֲמָתִ֤י | ḥă-mā-tî} ‘my wrath’ is specified, and the instrumentality is marked by bə-ḏām {בְּדָ֔ם | bə-ḏām} ‘with blood.’ The Hiphil infinitive construct lə-hak-rît {לְהַכְרִ֥ית | lə-hak-rît} ‘to cut off’ functions as a purpose clause, and mimmennāh {מִמֶּ֖נָּה | mim-men-nāh} ‘from it’ limits the effect. The final coordinate phrase ʾā-ḏām û-ḇə-hê-māh {אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה | ʾā-ḏām û-ḇə-hê-māh} ‘man and beast’ underscores the totality of the judgment. |