| 33. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the generic statement yitnu {יִתְּנוּ | yit-tə-nu} ‘they give’ paired with lekol zonot {לְכָל־זֹנ֖וֹת | lə-kol zō-nōt} ‘to all prostitutes’ and nedeh {נֵ֑דֶה | nē-deh} ‘gift.’ The adversative ve’at {וְאַ֨תְּ | wə-ʾat} ‘but you’ introduces a shift to natat {נָתַ֤תְּ | nā-tat} ‘you gave’ your gifts (et-nedanaikh {אֶת־נְדָנַ֙יִךְ | et-nə-da-na-yikh}) to lekol meahavayikh {לְכָל־מְאַֽהֲבַ֔יִךְ | lə-kol mə-ʾa-hă-vay-ikh} ‘all your lovers,’ reversing the expected flow. The clause vatishchodi {וַתִּשְׁחֳדִ֣י | va-tiš-ḥō-dî} ‘and you bribed’ otam {אוֹתָ֗ם | ō-tām} to lavo elayikh {לָב֥וֹא אֵלַ֛יִךְ | lā-vō ʾē-lai-ykh} ‘come to you’ from missaviv {מִסָּבִ֖יב | mis-sā-vîv} ‘all around’ culminates with betaznutayikh {בְּתַזְנוּתָֽיִךְ | bə-taz-nu-tā-yīḵ} ‘in your whoredoms,’ framing the context. This structure uses contrast and inversion to highlight the perversion of normal social exchange and deliberate corruption. |