| 6. Linguistic Exegesis Jeremiah 17:6 opens with the vav-consecutive perfect vehayah {וְהָיָה | wə-hāyāh} ‘and he shall be’, introducing a prophetic consequence. The comparative phrase keʿarar {כְּעַרְעָר | kə-ʿar-ʿār} ‘like a shrub’ portrays frailty, followed by baʿaravah {בַּעֲרָבָה | ba-ʿă-rā-ḇāh} ‘in the desert’, intensifying barrenness. The coordinated negative velo yirʾeh {וְלֹא יִרְאֶה | wə-lōʾ yirʾeh} ‘and he will not see’ links to the imperfect clause ki yavo tov {כִּי יָבוֹא טוֹב | kî yābōʾ ṭōv} ‘when good comes’, indicating inability to perceive blessing. The second half begins with veshakhan {וְשָׁכַן | wə-šāḵān} ‘and he will dwell’ followed by a hendiadys in kharerim {חֲרֵרִים | ḥă-rērîm} ‘parched places’ and bammidbar {בַּמִּדְבָּר | ba-mmidbār} ‘in the wilderness’, layering desolation. The closing nominal clause erets melekhah velo teshev {אֶרֶץ מְלֵחָה וְלֹא תֵשֵׁב | ʼerets məlēḥāh wə-lōʾ tēšēḇ} ‘a land of salt and will not be inhabited’ uses a negated noun clause to emphasize permanent abandonment. The shift from perfect to imperfect and the stacked prepositional phrases highlight inevitability and ongoing barrenness. |