| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vechi {וְכִי | wə-ḵî} ‘and if’ introducing a conditional clause. The Qal imperfect toemri {תֹאמְרִי | tō-’ăm-rî} ‘you say’ addresses the addressee in the second person feminine singular. The phrase bilvavekh {בִּלְבָבֵךְ | bil-ḇā-ḇê-ḵ} ‘in your heart’ indicates internal deliberation. The interrogative maddua {מַדּוּעַ | maḏ-du-‘aʿ} ‘why’ precedes qerauni {קְרָאֻנִי | qᵊ-rā-’ū-nî}, a Qal perfect with first person suffix idiomatically rendered “come upon me.” The demonstrative elleh {אֵלֶּה | ’ēl-leh} ‘these’ refers to adversities. The construct phrase be-rov avonekh {בְּרֹב עֲוֺנֵךְ | bə-rov ‘ă-wō-nê-ḵ} ‘because of the greatness of your iniquity’ establishes causation. The Niphal perfect verbs niglu {נִגְלוּ | nîg-lū} ‘have been revealed’ and nekhmesu {נֶחְמְסוּ | neḥ-mə-sū} ‘have been violated’ depict exposure and violent mistreatment. The merism shulayikh and aqevayikh {שׁוּלַיִךְ וְעֲקֵבָיִךְ | shū-lay-ê-ḵ ’ă-qê-ḇā-yê-ḵ} ‘your skirts and your heels’ underscores comprehensive humiliation. |