| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse presents a chiastic structure contrasting the psalmist’s enemies with his own preservation through alternating jussive and cohortative forms. The pairs yevoshu {יֵבֹשׁוּ | yē-bō-šû} ‘let them be put to shame’ versus evoshah {אֵבֹשָׁה | ʾē-bō-šāh} ‘let me be put to shame,’ and yechattu {יֵחַתּוּ | yē-ḥat-tû} ‘let them be dismayed’ versus echettah {אֵחַתָּה | ʾe-ḥat-tāh} ‘let me be dismayed’ heighten the contrast. The imperative havi {הָבִיא | hā-ḇîʾ} ‘bring’ summons divine intervention. The construct chain yom raʿah {יוֹם רָעָה | yōm rā-ʿāh} ‘day of evil’ signals prophetic judgment, and u-mishneh shibbaron {וּמִשְׁנֶה שִׁבָּרוֹן | û-miš-neh ši-bā-rôn} ‘double destruction’ uses repetition for intensified retribution. The final infinitive construct shavrem {שָׁבְרֵם | šā-ḇrə-m̄} ‘break them’ underscores total defeat. |