| 36. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the prophetic formula koh-amar {כֹּה־אָמַר | kô-’āmar} ‘thus says’, an orthographic unit introducing the deity’s speech. It is followed by the compound divine name Adonai Yahweh {אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִ֗ה | ’ădônay Yəhōwî}, emphasizing both Lordship and covenant identity. The conjunction yaan {יַעַן | yaʿan} ‘because’ introduces a causal clause. The verbs hishsafekh {הִשָּׁפֵךְ | hiššāpēḵ} ‘was poured out’ and vattiggaleh {וַתִּגָּלֶה | wattigāle} ‘was uncovered’ are Niphal forms, conveying passive or reflexive aspects that emphasize involuntary exposure. Possessive suffixes on nechushtekh {נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ | nᵉḥuštēḵ} and ervatekh {עֶרְוָתֵךְ | ʿerwāteḵ} stress personal culpability. The prepositional phrase ketaznutayikh {כְּתַזְנוּתַיִךְ | ketaznûtāyêḵ} ‘according to your whorings’ with al-meahavaikh {עַל־מְאַהֲבָיִךְ | ʿal-mᵉʾaḥăḇāyêḵ} ‘upon your lovers’ delineates relational sins, while the coordination ve-al kol-gillulei toavotayikh {וְעַל כָּל־גִּלּוּלֵי תוֹעֲבוֹתַיִךְ | wə-ʿal kôl-gillūlē tᵒʾăḇōtāyêḵ} expands to idolatrous transgressions. The final phrase ve-khidmei banayikh asher natat lahem {וְכִדְמֵי בָנַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתְּ לָהֶם | wə-ḵidəmē banayyaḵ ’ăšer nāṯaṯṯ lāhem} ‘and by the blood of your children whom you gave to them’ adds the grief of child sacrifice, underscoring judicial severity. |