| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive veasah {וְעָשָׂ֤ה | wə-ʿā-śāh} ‘and it does,’ marking the protasis of a first-class conditional. The noun hara {הָרַע֙ | hā-raʿ} ‘evil’ functions as the direct object within the prepositional phrase beeinai {בְּעֵינַ֔י | bə-ʿê-nāy} ‘in my eyes,’ expressing divine perspective. The negative purpose-result clause levilti {לְבִלְתִּ֖י | lə-ḇil-tî} ‘so as not to’ + shmoa {שְׁמֹ֣עַ | šə-mōaʿ} ‘to listen’ indicates willful refusal. In the apodosis, the Niphal perfect venikhamti {וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ | wə-ni-ḥam-tî} ‘and I will relent’ signals a reversal of declared purpose. The phrase alhatovah {עַל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה | ʿal-haṭ-ṭō-ḇāh} ‘concerning the good’ introduces a relative clause with asher {אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾă-šer} ‘that,’ followed by amarti {אָמַ֖רְתִּי | ʾā-mar-tî} ‘I said’ and the Hiphil infinitive lehetiv {לְהֵיטִ֥יב | lə-hê-ṭîḇ} ‘to do good’ + oto {אוֹתֽוֹ | ʾō-ṯō} ‘it.’ This protasis–apodosis structure reflects covenantal causality whereby disobedience triggers divine withdrawal of the promised benefit. |