| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a chain of waw-prefixed imperfects—vetasem {וְתָשֵׂם | wə-ṯāšēm} “and You set” followed by vetishmor {וְתִשְׁמֹר | wə-tišmōr} “and You keep watch”—to convey ongoing divine action. The prepositional phrase basad {בַּסַּד | bas-sād} “in the stocks” precedes raglay {רַגְלַי | raglay} “my feet,” intensifying the image of confinement by foregrounding the instrument. The maqqef-bound kol-arkhotay {כָּל־אָרְחוֹתָ֑י | kol-ʾorḥōṯay} “all my paths” functions as the object of the guarding verb, stressing total scrutiny. The final clause fronts al-sharshe raglay {עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁי רַגְלַי | ʿal-šāršê raglay} “upon the roots of my feet” before tithakkeh {תִּתְחַקֶּה | tit-ḥaq-qeh} “You mark,” highlighting that even the lowliest point is not beyond inspection. |