| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with la-khen {לָכֵ֞ן | lā-ḵēn} ‘therefore’, marking a conclusion from preceding oracles. The formula kōh-ʾā-mar Yahweh {כֹּֽה-אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה | kōh-ʾā-mar Yə-hō-wāh} ‘thus says the LORD’ introduces divine speech. The clause ʿal han-neviʾim han-nibbeʾim biš-mî {עַֽל-הַנְּבִאִ֞ים הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים בִּשְׁמִי | ʿal han-nə-ḇi-ʾîm han-nib-bə-ʾîm biš-mî} ‘concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name’ specifies those rebuked. Contrastive wa-ʾă-nî lō-šəlaḥ-tîm {וַאֲנִ֣י לֹֽא-שְׁלַחְתִּם | wa-ʾă-nî lō-šəlaḥ-tîm} ‘though I did not send them’ juxtaposes divine commissioning with their claim. The participle ʾom-rîm {אֹֽמְרִ֔ים | ʾom-rîm} ‘they are saying’ introduces the false assertion ḥe-reḇ wə-rā-ʿāḇ lō yih-yeh bā-ʾāreṣ haz-zōṯ {חֶ֣רֶב וְרָעָ֔ב לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את | ḥe-reḇ wə-rā-ʿāḇ lō yih-yeh bā-ʾā-reṣ haz-zōṯ} ‘“sword and famine shall not be in this land.”’ The clause ba-ḥe-reḇ û-ba-rā-ʿāḇ yit-ta-mû {בַּחֶ֤רֶב וּבָֽרָעָב֙ יִתַּ֔מּוּ | ba-ḥe-reḇ û-ba-rā-ʿāḇ yit-ta-mû} ‘by the sword and by the famine they shall be consumed’ emphatically reverses the promise with instrumentality, and the demonstrative han-nə-ḇi-ʾîm ha-hê-mmā {הַנְּבִאִ֖ים הָהֵֽמָּה | han-nə-ḇi-ʾîm ha-hê-mmā} ‘those prophets’ closes the oracle. English rearranges verb placement to reflect Hebrew emphasis on imminent judgment. |