| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The adverb lakhen {לָכֵ֞ן | lā-khēn} ‘therefore’ introduces a summative divine verdict. The oracle formula koh amar Yahweh tsevaot {כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת | kōh ʾā-mar Yə-hō-wāh ṣə-ḇā-ʾōt} frames authoritative speech. The prepositional phrase al hannevi’im {עַל־הַנְּבִאִים | ʿal han-nə-ḇī-ʾīm} ‘concerning the prophets’ sets the judgment’s focus. The emphatic hineni {הִנְנִי | hin-nē-nî} ‘behold I’ underscores the LORD’s active stance. Parallel Hiphil forms ma’akhil {מַאֲכִיל | ma-ʾă-khîl} ‘feeding’ and wehishqitim {וְהִשְׁקִתִים | wə-hiškī-tîm} ‘I will make drink’ present complementary punitive actions, with la’anah {לַֽעֲנָה | la-ʿă-nāh} ‘wormwood’ and mey-ros {מֵי־רֹאשׁ | mêy-rōš} ‘waters of poison’ as objects. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘because’ introduces the causal clause me’et nevi’ei Yerushalayim yatzah chanupah {מֵאֵת נְבִיאֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם יָצְאָה חֲנֻפָּה | mê-ʾēt nə-ḇīʾê Yə-rū-šā-lā-yim yā-ṣʾāh ḥă-nu-pāh}, indicating that profaneness has spread, and the phrase l’khol ha’arets {לְכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ | lə-ḵōl hā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘to all the land’ defines its extent. |