| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vagam {וָגַם | wə-ḡam} ‘and also’, a conjunction adding to the preceding divine actions. The emphatic pronoun ani {אֲנִי | ʾă-nî} ‘I’ identifies the LORD as subject, followed by the Qal perfect nasati {נָשָׂאתִי | nā-śāʾtî} ‘I lifted’, an idiom for swearing. The phrase yadi lahem {יָדִי לָהֶם | yā-ḏî lā-hem} ‘my hand to them’ expresses the oath gesture in midbar {בַּמִּדְבָּר | bam-miḏ-ˈbār} ‘the wilderness’. The purpose clause introduced by levilti {לְבִלְתִּי | lə-ḇil-tî} ‘in order not to’ governs the Hiphil infinitive havi {הָבִיא | hā-ˈvî} ‘to bring’, with otam {אוֹתָם | ō-ˈtām} ‘them’ as object. The relative asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-ˈšer} links to natati {נָתַתִּי | nā-ˈṯaṯ-tî} ‘I gave’, modifying haaretz {הָאָרֶץ | hā-ˈʾā-reṣ} ‘the land’. The construct phrase zavat chalav udevash {זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ | zā-ˈḇaṯ ḥā-ˈlāḇ ū-ḏə-ˈvāš} ‘flowing with milk and honey’ uses a merism of bounty, and the copular phrase tzevi hi {צְבִי הִיא | ṣə-ˈḇî hî} ‘it is splendor’ underscores the land’s preeminence. The translation renders Hebrew purpose and relative clauses in clear English while preserving the oath’s force and the vivid imagery of abundance. |