| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a repeated optative formula, mi-yitten {מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן | mî-yittēn} ‘who would grant,’ combining an interrogative pronoun with a Qal imperfect jussive to express longing. The particle efo {אֵ֭פוֹ | ʾē-p̄ō} ‘now’ intensifies the immediacy of Job’s wish. Two passive jussive imperfect verbs, ve-yikkatevûn {וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן | wə-yikkātəvûn} ‘and they would be written’ and ve-yuchaku {וְיֻחָֽקוּ | wə-yuḥāqû} ‘and they would be engraved,’ create a climactic parallelism from writing to engraving. The construct chain millay {מִלָּ֑י | millay} ‘my words’ marks the direct object, and the prepositional phrase ba-sefer {בַּסֵּ֣פֶר | ba-sēp̄er} ‘in a book’ designates the desired enduring medium. This syntactic pattern underscores the intensifying desire for a permanent public record of Job’s testimony. |