| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse unfolds as a paratactic series of vav-consecutive clauses. The initial clause begins with vav-consecutive in vehilbashtiv {וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יו | wə-hil-baš-ṯîw} ‘and I will clothe him,’ introducing divine action. The construct phrase kutantkha {כֻּתָּנְתֶּךָ | qu-ṭān-te-kha} ‘your tunic’ is then specified before the Hiphil imperfect achazkennu {אֲחַזְּקֶנּוּ | ʾă-ḥaz-ḳə-nnû} ‘I will bind him,’ which denotes the investiture act of affixing the ceremonial sash. The idiomatic transfer of power appears in umemsheltkha eten beyado {וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיָד֑וֹ | ū-mem-šel-tə-kha ʾettēn bə-ya-dô} ‘and I will place your authority into his hand.’ The final vav imperfect vehayah {וְהָיָ֥ה | wə-hāyāh} ‘and he will be,’ with predicate le’av {לְאָ֛ב | lə-ʾāḇ} ‘a father’ and coordinated complements leyoshev yerushalayim {לְיוֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם | lə-yō-šēḇ Yə-rū-šā-la-yim} ‘to the inhabitant of Jerusalem’ and u-lebeit yehudah {וּלְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה | ū-lə-ḇēṯ Yə-hû-ḏā} ‘and to the house of Judah,’ defines the resultant paternal role. This structure emphasizes divine initiative culminating in appointed leadership. |