| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with fronted Yahweh {יְהוָ֛ה | Yə-hō-wāh} to emphasize divine initiative. The perfect verb masakh {מָסַךְ | māsaḵ} ‘has mixed’ followed by vav-consecutive vehitu {וְהִתְע֤וּ | wə-hiṯ-ṭû} ‘and they caused to stray’ marks a completed divine act producing human disorientation. The locative prepositional phrase beqirbah {בְּקִרְבָּהּ | bə-qir-bāh} ‘in her midst’ locates Egypt at the center of divine activity. The construct chain ruach ivvim {ר֣וּחַ עִוְעִ֑ים | rūaḥ ʿivvîm} ‘spirit of perversions’ conveys intense moral corruption. The accusative marker et {אֶת־ | et} introduces the direct object Mitzrayim {מִצְרַיִם | Miṣ-rā-yim} ‘Egypt.’ The phrase bekol ma‘asehu {בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂהוּ | bə-ḵol ma‘ă-sê-hû} ‘in every work of his’ expresses totality of influence. The final simile kehittaot shikor beqio {כְּהִתְע֥וֹת שִׁכּ֖וֹר בְּקִיאֽוֹ | kə-hiṯ-tā‘ôt ši-kôr bə-qî-’ō} ‘like a drunkard staggering in his vomit’ uses a Hifil infinitive construct to illustrate disorientation and degradation. |