| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav consecutive vayyamru-bi {וַיַּמְרוּ־בִי | wayyamrū-ḇî} ‘but they rebelled against me’, establishing contrast and narrative progression. The paired negative wə-lōʾ-ʾāḇû lišmōʿa ʾēlay {וְלֹא־אָבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלַי | wə-lōʾ-ʾāḇû liš-mō-ʿa ʾê-lay} ‘and they were not willing to listen to me’ uses a Qal perfect integrated with an infinitive construct to express obstinate refusal. The accusative marker ʾēṯ marks šikkutzei ʿēnêhem {אֵת שִׁקּוּצֵי עֵינֵיהֶם | ʾēṯ šiqqûṣê ʿē-nê-hem} ‘the detestable things of their eyes’, intensifying the moral aversion. A second negation lōʾ hišlikhu {לֹא הִשְׁלִיכוּ | lōʾ hiš-liḵû} mirrors the first to emphasize their persistence, while the construct chain wə-ʾēṯ-gilullei miṣrāyim {וְאֶת־גִּלּוּלֵי מִצְרָיִם | wə-ʾēṯ gil-lu-lê miṣ-rā-yim} ‘and the idols of Egypt’ specifies the objects of their loyalty. The vav consecutive wā-ʾō-mar {וָאֹמַר | wā-ʾō-mar} ‘then I said’ introduces purpose clauses via the infinitives lišpōḥ {לִשְׁפֹּךְ | liš-pō-ḥ} ‘to pour out’ and ləkallōṯ {לְכַלּוֹת | lə-kal-lōṯ} ‘to complete’, linking divine pronouncement to its consummation. Finally, the phrase bəṯōḵ ʾereṣ miṣrāyim {בְּתוֹךְ אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם | bə-ṯōḵ ʾe-reṣ miṣ-rā-yim} anchors the judgment geographically. The repetition of infinitival constructions and negations underscores unyielding rebellion and the certainty of divine retribution. |