| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a climactic series of fronted prepositions be'et-barzel {בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל | bə-ʿēṭ-bar-zel} ‘with an iron stylus’ and ve'ofret {וְעֹפָ֑רֶת | wə-ʿōp̄eṯ} ‘and lead’, followed by the adverbial la'ad {לָ֝עַ֗ד | lā-ʿaḏ} ‘forever’ and the locative batsur {בַּצּ֥וּר | baṣ-ṣûr} ‘in the rock’. The imperfect yechatzevun {יֵחָצְבֽוּן | yē-ḥāṣə-ḇûn} functions optatively, expressing a wish for the inscription’s permanence. The stacking of instrument, material, duration, and surface mirrors intensification patterns in Hebrew poetic inscriptions. |