| 47. Linguistic Exegesis The instruction veamarta {וְאָמַרְתָּ | wə-ʾā-mar-tā} ‘and you shall say’ uses the vav consecutive to introduce the prophet’s speech. It addresses the compound subject yaar hanNegev {יַעַר הַנֶּגֶב | ya-ʿar han-ne-ḡeḇ} ‘forest of the Negev,’ symbolizing the inhospitable land of Israel. The imperative shema {שְׁמַע | šə-maʿ} ‘hear’ governs devar {דְּבַר־ | də-var} ‘word’ of Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh}, and koh amar {כֹּה אָמַר | kōh ʾā-mar} frames the prophetic oracle. The double divine formula Adonai Yahweh {אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה | ʾă-dō-nāy Yə-hō-wāh} asserts covenant authority. The participle meviir {מְבִעִיר | mə-ḇiʿ-îr} with pronoun ani {אֲנִי | ʾă-nî} conveys God’s active role in “kindling” judgment. The Piel perfect veikkelah {וְאִכְּלָה | wə-ʾik-kə-lāh} emphasizes total consumption of both fresh (lach {לַח | laḥ}) and dry (yavesh {יָבֵשׁ | yā-ḇēš}) trees. The emphatic negative lo tikhbeh lehevet shelehevet {לֹא תִכְבֶּה לֶהָבֶת שְׁלֶהֶבֶת | lōʾ tiḵ-ḇeh le-hā-ḇeṯ šə-le-hé-ḇeṯ} underscores an unquenchable blaze. Finally, the Nifal perfect venitzrevu {וְנִצְרְבוּ | və-nitṣ-rə-ḇû} presents the passive result: all faces (kol-panim {כָּל־פָּנִים | kol-pā-nîm}) from the south (minegev {מִנֶּגֶב | min-ne-ḡeḇ}) to the north (tzafonah {צָפֹנָה | ṣā-pō-ná-h}) will be scorched. |