| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the adverb ken {כֵּן | kên} ‘thus’, linking this oracle to the preceding prophetic act. The imperfect verb yinhag {יִנְהַג | yinnĕhāg} ‘he will lead’ frames a future forced removal. Two parallel construct phrases, et-shevi mitzrayim {אֶת־שְׁבִי מִצְרַיִם | ʾet-šeḇî miṣrayim} ‘the captivity of Egypt’ and ve-et-galut kush {וְאֶת־גָּלוּת כּוּשׁ | wə-ʾet gā-lût kūš} ‘and the exile of Cush’, highlight dual subjugation. The merism ne‘ārîm u-zaqēnîm {נְעָרִים וּזְקֵנִים | ne‘ārîm ū-za-qēn-îm} ‘young and old’ denotes total inclusion. The asyndetic sequence ‘ārôm ve-yāḥēp̄ {עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף | ‘ārôm wə-yā-ḥēp̄} ‘naked and barefoot’ intensifies the humiliation, while the appositional va-ḥǎsū-p̄āy šêṯ {וַחֲשׂוּפַ֥י שֵׁת | wa-ḥǎsū-p̄āy šêṯ} ‘with uncovered buttocks’ adds graphic imagery. The construct ‘erwāt mitzrayim {עֶרְוַת מִצְרָיִם | ‘erwāt miṣrayim} ‘nakedness of Egypt’ serves as a synecdoche for national disgrace. The English versions place the subject first and maintain the Hebrew’s cumulative parallelism. |