| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the waw-prefix unetattikha {וּנְתַתִּיךָ | û-nə-ta-tti-ḵā} ‘and I will give you’, presenting divine action in the first person singular toward a second person object. The repeated formula beyad {בְּיַד | bə-yad} ‘into the hand of’ introduces each recipient in a cumulative series, heightening the sense of inexorable judgment. The participle mevaqshei nafshekha {מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשֶׁךָ | mə-vaq-šê naf-šə-ḵā} ‘those who seek your life’ employs nefesh to denote the person’s entire being under threat. The relative clause asher-attah yagor mipnehem {אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה יָג֖וֹר מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾă-šer-ʾat-tā yā-ḡōr mip-nê-hem} ‘whom you fear’ uses a Qal imperfect verb to express ongoing dread. The proper name nevukhadretzar melekh-bavel {נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל | nə-vu-khad-re-ʾet-tsar me-leḵ-ḇā-vel} identifies the Babylonian monarch, and the final uveyad hakasdim {וּבְיַ֥ד הַכַּשְׂדִּֽים | û-və-yad ha-kaś-dîm} ‘and into the hand of the Chaldeans’ refers to the ruling elite. The relentless repetition of “into the hand of” structures the prophecy as a crescendo of unavoidable defeat and exile. |