| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction and temporal adverb ki-atah {כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה | kî-ʿattâ} ‘for now’, framing the immediate context of the plea. The construct noun tseaday {צְעָדַ֣י | tsᵉʿāḏay} ‘my steps’ precedes the Qal imperfect tispōr {תִּסְפּ֑וֹר | tispōr} ‘you will count’, producing a poetic image of meticulous divine scrutiny. The parallel clause uses the negative lo with the Qal imperfect lō-tišmôr {לֹֽא־תִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹר | lō-tišmôr} ‘you do not keep watch’, forming a direct statement of absent vigilance. The prepositional phrase ʿal-ḥaṭṭāʾtî {עַל־חַטָּאתִֽי | ʿal-ḥaṭṭāʾtî} ‘over my sin’ specifies the neglected focus. This chiastic parallelism between precise accounting and overlooked oversight heightens the tone of complaint. |