| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse consists of two parallel interrogative cola each introduced by mah {מַה | māh} ‘what’, functioning as a rhetorical challenge. The first cola centers on yiqqachakha {יִּקָּחֲךָ | yiqqāḥăkā} ‘takes you’, with libbekha {לִבֶּךָ | libbekā} ‘your heart’ placed postverbally to highlight its motivating force. The second cola is linked by û- {וּ | û} and repeats the interrogation with umah-yirzemun {וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן | û-māh-yirzəmûn}, shifting focus to the outward expression of one’s eyes, with the plural verb agreeing semantically with the dual noun eineikha {עֵינֶֽיךָ | ʿênêkā}. This chiastic pairing of “heart” and “eyes” creates poetic parallelism from inner impulse to outward signal, intensifying the rebuke. |