| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vegam {וְגַם | wə-gam} ‘and also,’ an emphatic coordinating conjunction that adds to prior divine actions. The particle et {אֶת־ | ʾet} marks shabbetotai {שַׁבְּתוֹתַי | šab-bə-ṯō-tai} ‘my Sabbaths’ as the direct object of natatti {נָתַתִּי | nā-taṯ-tî} ‘I gave.’ The purpose clause is built with the infinitive construct lihyot {לִהְיוֹת | li-hyōt} ‘to be’ plus the prepositional phrase le’ot {לְאוֹת | lə-ʾōṯ} ‘for a sign.’ The construct chain beyni u-veinehem {בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיהֶם | bê-nî û-ḇê-nê-hem} expresses the reciprocal relationship “between Me and them.” Ladaʿat {לָדַעַת | lā-ḏaʿ-at} ‘to know’ introduces the intended result, with ki {כִּי | kî} marking the content clause. The independent pronoun ani {אֲנִי | ʾă-nî} and divine name Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} establish the speaker’s identity, followed by the Piel participle mekaddesham {מְקַדְּשָׁם | mə-qad-də-šām} ‘sanctifying them,’ which attributes ongoing divine action. |