| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the interrogative adverb lama {לָ֤מָּה | lāmmāh} ‘why’ introducing a rhetorical lament, immediately followed by the demonstrative pronoun zeh {זֶּה֙ | zeh} ‘this,’ intensifying the complaint. The prepositional phrase merechem {מֵרֶ֣חֶם | mē-re-ḥem} ‘from womb’ marks origin. The Qal perfect yā-ṣā-ʾtî {יָצָ֔אתִי | yā-ṣā-ʾtî} ‘I came out’ presents the speaker’s completed past action, which is followed by the infinitive construct lir-ʾôt {לִרְא֥וֹת | lir-ʾôt} ‘to see’ governing the coordinated objects ʿā-māl and wə-yā-ḡôn {עָמָ֖ל וְיָג֑וֹן | ʿā-māl wə-yā-ḡôn} ‘labor and sorrow.’ The waw-consecutive wa-yik-lû {וַיִּכְל֥וּ | wa-yik-lû} ‘and they were finished’ shifts to a perfective imperfect narrative sequence, referring to yā-māy {יָמָֽי | yā-māy} ‘my days.’ The prepositional phrase bə-ḇō-šeṯ {בְּבֹשֶׁת | bə-ḇō-šeṯ} ‘in shame’ frames the result. The progression from existential origin to toil and sorrow and final disgrace forms a chiastic intensification of lament. |