| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the waw-consecutive verb vayireh {וַיִּרְאֶה | way-yirʾeh} ‘and he sees’, establishing a conditional framework reinforced by veyashuv {וְיָשׁוּב | we-yašûv} ‘and he returns’. The following vayashev {וַיָּשָׁב | way-yāšāḇ} ‘and he turns back’ intensifies the repentance action. The construct mikol-pesha’av {מִכָּל־פְּשָׁעָ֖יו | mi-kol-pəšāʿāw} ‘from all his transgressions’ conveys comprehensive abandonment; the relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾăšer} ‘which’ introduces a subordinate clause specifying the offenses (asah {עָשָׂה | ʿāśāh} ‘he did’). The emphatic doublet chayo yichyeh {חָי֥וֹ יִחְיֶ֖ה | ḥāyō yiḥyēh} ‘surely he will live; he shall live’ expresses assured life, counterbalanced by the negation lo yamut {לֹא יָמוּת | lōʾ yāmūt} ‘he shall not die’. The Hebrew structure follows a logical progression: perception → repentance → complete severance from sin → guaranteed life and avoidance of death. |