| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse continues the conditional vow begun in the previous verse by opening with ve-shabti {וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י | wə-šaḇ-tî} ‘and I return,’ where the vav carries forward the protasis. The phrase be-shalom {בְשָׁל֖וֹם | bə-šā-lōm} ‘in peace’ specifies the intended manner, and the construct chain el-beit avi {אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י | ʾel-bêṯ ʾā-vî} ‘to my father’s house’ marks the spatial and relational goal. The apodosis begins with ve-hayah {וְהָיָ֧ה | wə-hā-yāh} ‘and will be,’ followed by Yahweh {יְהוָ֛ה | Yə-hō-wāh} as subject, and the dative li le-elohim {לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים | lī lē-ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘for me as God’ functioning as a predicate of covenantal relationship. In English this is rendered as a continuation with a comma and ‘then’ to preserve the logical consequence while balancing literal syntax with relational nuance. |