| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with venish’ar-bo {וְנִשְׁאַר־בּוֹ | və-nish-ʾār-bō} ‘and there will remain in it,’ using the vav-consecutive with a Nifal imperfect verb to mark prophetic future. The noun phrase olelot kenoqef zayit {עֽוֹלֵלֹת֙ כְּנֹ֣קֶף זַ֔יִת | ʿō-lē-lōṯ ke-nō-qēp za-yīt} ‘gleanings like the shaking of an olive tree’ employs the preposition kaf as a simile marker. A numeric sequence shenayim shelosha arba‘ah chamishah {שְׁנַ֧יִם שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה חֲמִשָּׁ֗ה | šə-nā-yim šə-lō-shā ar-bā-ʿā ḥa-mî-shā} highlights scarcity. The locator berosh amir {בְּרֹ֣אשׁ אָמִ֑יר | bə-rō-š ʾā-mîr} ‘at the top of the bough’ and the qualifier bise’ifeha poriyah {בִּסְעִפֶ֙יהָ֙ פֹּֽרִיָּ֔ה | bi-sʿi-pe-hā pō-rî-yā} ‘on its fruitful branches’ specify position and quality of the remnant fruit. The prophetic formula neum Yahweh Elohei Yisra’el {נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | nə-ʾum Yə-hō-wāh ʾĕ-lō-hē Yiś-rā-ʾēl} closes with divine authority. English syntax preserves Hebrew enumeration and parallel locational phrases to maintain the sense of judgmental scarcity and divine pronouncement. |