| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} introduces a relative clause identifying those benefited by the action. The Piel perfect berakho {בֵּרֲכ֛וֹ | bə-rǎ-ḵō} ‘has blessed him’ indicates completed divine favor. The composite title LORD of hosts {יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת | Yə-hō-wāh ṣə-vā-ʼōṯ} employs a construct chain to highlight Yahweh’s sovereign command over heavenly armies. The infinitive construct leemor {לֵאמֹ֑ר | lê-ʾō-mər} marks the transition into direct speech, which unfolds as a triadic series of equative appositions: barukh ammi Mitzrayim {בָּרוּךְ עַמִּי מִצְרַיִם | bā-rûḵ ʿam-mî mi-ṣrā-yim} ‘Egypt is my people’, umaase yadai Ashur {וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי אַשּׁוּר | u-mə-ʿă-sê yā-ḏay ʾǎ-šur} ‘Assyria is the work of my hands’, and venachalati Yisrael {וְנַחֲלָתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל | wə-nă-ḥă-lā-ṯî yi-srā-ʼēl} ‘Israel is my inheritance’. The parallel structure underscores equal divine favor across nations. |