| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with im {אִ֥ם | ʾim} introducing a conditional clause expressed as an assumed reality. The passive participle kharutsim {חֲרוּצִ֨ים | ḥă-rû-ṣîm} precedes the subject phrase yamav {יָמָ֗יו | yā-mā-yaw}, emphasizing the predetermined duration of life. The construct chain mispar-khodashav {מִֽסְפַּר־חֳדָשָׁ֥יו | mis-pār-ḥō-dā-šā-yaw} with the prepositional phrase ittakh {אִתָּ֑ךְ | ʾit-tāḵ} underscores divine possession of lifespan. The coordinated nouns khoqo … chukkav {חקו חֻקָּ֥יו | ḥūq-qô ḥuqqā-yaw} ‘decree … statutes’ form legal parallelism as objects of the verb asita {עָשִׂיתָ | ʿā-śî-tā}, portraying life’s limit as divinely ordained. The negated imperfect velo yaavor {וְלֹ֣א יַעֲבֹר | wə-lōʾ ya-ʿă-ḇōr} highlights the inescapability of this boundary. The translation maintains the cumulative clause structure and theological emphasis on human limitation under divine sovereignty. |