| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the causal conjunction ki {כִּֽי־ | kî} ‘for/because’, followed by the prophetic formula khoh amar Yahweh {כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה | kō ʾā-mar Yə-hō-wāh} ‘thus says the LORD’. It features a tricolon of prohibitions introduced by the negative particle al {אַל־ | ʾal} plus Qal imperfect verbs (tavo {תָּבוֹא | tā-ḇōʾ} ‘enter’, telekh {תֵּלֵךְ | tē-lēḵ} ‘go’, tanod {תָּנֹד | tā-nōḏ} ‘bemoan’), each reinforced by the conjunction ve-al {וְאַל־ | wə-ʾal}. The noun phrase beit marzeach {בֵּית מַרְזֵחַ | bêṯ mar-zē-aḥ} indicates the communal funerary setting, while the infinitive lispod {לִסְפּוֹד | lis-pōḏ} represents lamentation. The causal clause begins with ki and the perfect verb asafti {אָסַפְתִּי | ʾā-sap-ti} ‘I have withdrawn’, governing three objects marked by et-she-lomi {אֶת־שְׁלוֹמִ֜י | ʾeṯ-šə-lō-mî} ‘My peace’, et-ha-ḥe-seḏ {אֶת־הַחֶסֶד | ʾeṯ-ha-ḥe-seḏ} ‘steadfast love’, and ve-et-ha-ra-cha-mim {וְאֶת־הָרַחֲמִֽים | wə-ʾeṯ-ha-ra-ḥa-mîm} ‘mercies’. The concluding neum-yehovah {נְאֻם־יְהוָה | nə-ʾum Yə-hō-wāh} marks divine authority. The translation preserves the emphatic prohibitions, the shift from communal mourning to divine withdrawal, and the dual aspects of covenantal loyalty and mercy. |