| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive infinitive construct uveshuv {וּבְשׁוּב | û-ḇə-šûḇ} ‘and when turns,’ establishing a conditional temporal clause. The subject rasha {רָשָׁע | rā-šāʿ} ‘wicked man’ is followed by the prepositional phrase merishato {מֵרִשְׁעָתוֹ | mê-riš-ʿā-tō} ‘from his wickedness,’ indicating personal culpability through the construct chain. The relative clause asher asah {אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה | ʾă-šer ʿā-śāh} ‘which he has done’ clarifies that the wickedness is the man’s own action. The wayyiqtol sequence vayya’as mishpat utzedakah {וַיַּעַשׂ מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה | wa-y-ya-ʿaś miš-pāṭ û-ṣə-dā-qāh} pairs justice and righteousness in a protasis form, emphasizing ethical response. The pronoun hu {הוּא | hūʾ} ‘he’ underscores individual agency. The direct object marker et introduces nafsho {אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ | ʾet-naf-šō} ‘his soul/life,’ signaling the one rescued. The Piel imperfect yechayeh {יְחַיֶּה | yə-ḥay-yeh} conveys causative preservation, more than mere survival. The English translation employs subject-verb-object order for clarity while preserving the Hebrew conditional and paired ethical terms. |