| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the waw-consecutive narrative verb va'omar {וָאֹמַר | vā’omar} ‘and I said,’ which introduces direct divine speech. The indirect object alehem {אֲלֵהֶם | ’ălēhem} specifies the audience as Israel. The sequence ish shikkutzei einav {אִישׁ שִׁקּוּצֵי עֵינָיו | ’îš šiqqûṣê ’ēnāv} foregrounds individual responsibility by linking the noun man with the construct phrase abominations of his eyes, emphasizing visual desire as a source of idolatry. The Hiphil imperative hashlikhu {הַשְּׁלִיכוּ | haššəlîḵû} issues an active command to remove those abominations. The prefixed conjunction and preposition in uvegillulei Mitsrayim {וּבְגִלּוּלֵי מִצְרַיִם | ūvegillûlē Miṣrāyim} connects idolatry to Egypt, recalling the source of foreign cults. The prohibitive particle al {אַל־ | ’al} with the Piel imperfect tetamme’u {תְּטַמְּאוּ | ṭətamme’û} forms a prohibition against defilement. Finally, the copulative clause ani Yahweh eloheikhem {אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | ’ănî Yəhōwāh ’ĕlōhêkhem} authoritatively grounds the injunctions in the divine identity, its placement closing the speech and asserting covenantal authority. |