| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’, transitioning from preceding judgment. The absolute negation ein {אֵין | ʾên} denies any other focus. The parallel terms ʿê-ney-kha {עֵינֶיךָ | ʿê-ney-kha} and wə-lib-bə-ḵā {וְלִבְּךָ | wə-lib-bə-ḵā} highlight both perception and intention. The emphatic phrase kî ʾim–ʿal {כִּי אִם־עַל | kî ʾim–ʿal} means ‘only for.’ A sequence of prepositional phrases introduced by wə-ʿal {וְעַל | wə-ʿal} enumerates each object of misplaced focus: biṣ-ʿe-khā {בִּצְעֶךָ | biṣ-ʿe-khā} ‘your gain,’ dām han-nā-qî {דַּם־הַנָּקִי | dam han-nā-qî} ‘innocent blood,’ hā-ʿō-šeq {הָעֹשֶׁק | hā-ʿō-šeq} ‘oppression,’ and ham-mə-rû-ṣāh {הַמְּרוּצָה | ham-mə-rû-ṣāh} ‘violence.’ The infinitives liš-pōḵ {לִשְׁפּוֹךְ | liš-pōḵ} and la-ʿă-sōṯ {לַעֲשׂוֹת | la-ʿă-sōṯ} express ongoing volitional actions, with the repeated wə-ʿal creating a mounting accusatory rhythm. |