| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction and infinitive uvshuv {וּבְשׁ֨וּב | û-ḇə-šûḇ} “when he turns,” marking a conditional scenario. The subject tsaddiq {צַדִּ֤יק | ṣad-dîq} “righteous person” is modified by mi-tsidqato {מִצִּדְקָתוֹ֙ | mi-ṣid-qā-ṯō} “from his righteousness,” indicating separation. The verb ve-asa {וְעָ֣שָׂה | wə-ʿā-śāh} “and he commits” governs object avel {עָ֔וֶל | ʿā-wel} “injustice.” The relative clause ke-khol hattovevot {כְּכֹ֨ל הַתּוֹעֵב֜וֹת | kə-ḵōl hattō-ʿê-ḇōṯ} “according to all the abominations” parallels ha-rasha {הָרָשָׁ֛ע | hā-rā-šāʿ} “the wicked one,” further advanced by yaaseh {יַעֲשֶׂה | ya-ʿă-śeh} “he does,” an imperfect verb denoting ongoing action. The waw-consecutive perfect vachai {וָחָ֑י | wā-ḥāy} “and will he live?” poses a rhetorical question. In the second clause, kol-tsidqotav {כָּל־צִדְקֹתָ֤יו | kol-ṣid-qō-ṯāw} “all his righteous deeds” asher-asa {אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ | ʾă-šer ʿā-śāh} “which he has done” is negated by lo {לֹ֣א | lōʾ} “not” and tizakarnah {תִזָּכַרְנָה | tiz-zā-kar-nāh} “they shall be remembered” in the Nifal imperfect to emphasize divine non-acknowledgment. The final double-reason clause bemaalo {בְּמַעֲל֧וֹ | bə-ma-ʿa-lō} “in his treachery,” asher-maal {אֲשֶׁר־מָעַ֛ל | ʾă-šer mā-ʿal} “wherewith he trespassed,” and u-ve-chatato {וּבְחַטָּאת֥וֹ | û-ḇə-ḥat-ta-ṯō} “and in his sin,” asher-chata {אֲשֶׁר־חָטָ֖א | ʾă-šer ḥā-ṭā} “wherewith he sinned,” concludes with bam {בָּ֥ם | bām} “in them” and yamuth {יָמוּת | yā-mûth} “he shall die.” The translation preserves the verse’s conditional structure, parallelism between righteousness and wickedness, and emphasis on demerits over merits. |