| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vaattame {וָאַטַּמֵּא | vā-ʾat-ta-mēʾ} ‘and I defiled,’ a Piʿel wayyiqtol with vav consecutive marking direct divine action. The instrumental phrase bemattenotam {בְּמַתְּנוֹתָם | bə-mat-tə-nō-tām} ‘by their gifts’ specifies means. Behaavir {בְּהַעֲבִיר | bə-ha-ʿă-ḇīr}, a Hifil infinitive construct, introduces the ritual of passing offspring. The construct kolpeter rachem {כָּל־פֶּטֶר רָחֶם | kol-pe-ter rā-ḥem} ‘every opener of the womb’ designates firstborn children. Two lemaan … asher clauses present divine purpose: the first (yeshimu) expresses judicial destruction, the second (yedu) expresses revelatory recognition. The concluding clause ki ani Yahweh {כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה | kî ʼănî Yəhôwāh} affirms divine identity and authority. |