| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is a compact poetic couplet with two coordinated clauses. The first clause is verb-initial: yashommu {יָשֹׁ֣מּוּ | yā-šōm-mû} ‘they will be appalled’ precedes the subject yesharim {יְשָׁרִ֣ים | yə-šā-rîm} ‘upright ones,’ giving prominence to the reaction before identifying who reacts. The prepositional phrase al-zot {עַל־זֹ֑את | ʿal-zōʾṯ} ‘at this’ supplies the trigger of astonishment without restating the scenario, keeping the line terse and forceful. The second clause is linked by vav in ve-naqi {וְ֝נָקִ֗י | wə-nā-qî} ‘and an innocent one,’ where the subject is fronted and the verb yitorar {יִתְעֹרָֽר | yiṯ-ʿō-rār} ‘he will rouse himself’ is delayed to the end, creating a climactic effect: moral identity first, then decisive response. In both clauses, ʿal ‘upon/against’ shifts from cause (al-zot) to opposition (al-khaneph {עַל־חָנֵ֥ף | ʿal-ḥā-nēp̄} ‘against a godless one’), intensifying the movement from shocked perception to active resistance. The English renderings preserve the parallelism (“upright … innocent”) and reflect the shift from emotional upheaval to stirred opposition. |