| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the variant orthography verai {וראי | wə-rāʾî} ‘behold’ alongside the parallel form u-re’u {וּרְא֔וּ | û-rə-ʾû} ‘see,’ both marking an urgent call to attention. The interjection shai {שאי | šāʾî} appears before the command se’u {שְׂא֤וּ | śə-ʾû} ‘lift up,’ suggesting emphatic reinforcement. The participial clause ha-ba’im mi-ṣāphōn {הַבָּאִים מִצָּפ֑וֹן | ha-bā-ʾîm mi-ṣā-p̄ōn} situates the advancing group from the north, highlighting geopolitical threat. The interrogative ’ayêh {אַיֵּ֗ה | ʾay-yeh} introduces a rhetorical question. The construct chain ha-‘ēder nittān-lāk {הָעֵ֙דֶר֙ נִתַּן־לָ֔ךְ | hā-ʿê-der nit-tan-lāḵ} highlights the people as entrusted under care, and the phrase ṣōn tif’ārtekh {צֹ֖אן תִּפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ | ṣōʾn tif-ʾar-tekh} emphasizes the nation’s prized status via possession. |