| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The opening conjunction vaani {וַאֲנִי | văʾănı̂} ‘and I’ introduces a personal affirmative contrast. The negated Qal perfect lo'atsati {לֹא־אַצְתִּי | lōʾ ’aṣṣəṯî} ‘did not hasten’ together with the construct phrase mero'eh achareikha {מֵרֹעֶה אַחֲרֶיךָ | mē-rōʿē ʾăḥărêḵā} ‘from shepherding after You’ highlights Jeremiah’s deliberate commitment to pastoral duty. The adversative coordinate ve-yom anush {וְיוֹם אָנ֛וּשׁ | wə-yôm ʾānûš} ‘and a grievous day’ marks the theme of impending judgment. The Hitpael perfect lo-hittawetti {לֹא הִתְאַוֵּיתִי | lōʾ hittāwêttî} ‘I did not desire’ intensifies the rejection of that judgment. The direct address attah yadatta {אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ | ʾattāh yāḏaʿtā} ‘you knew’ asserts divine omniscience. The nominal clause motza sefatay haya {מוֹצָא שְׂפָתַי הָיָה | mōṣāʾ s̆əp̄āṯay hāyâ} ‘what issued from my lips was’ focuses on verbal accountability, and the prepositional phrase nokhach panekha {נֹכַח פָּנֶיךָ | nôḵaḥ pāneḵā} ‘before Your face’ underscores transparency before God. The structure mirrors Hebrew word order to preserve Jeremiah’s emphasis on integrity. |