| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The line is built as a tight verbal chain with a single implied subject, moving from internal reluctance to continued retention. The opening verb yakhmol {יַחְמֹ֣ל | yaḥmōl} is followed by the prepositional complement aleha {עָ֭לֶיהָ | ʿāleyhā}, presenting the object as something he “has pity on” or “spares,” which in context is the wicked person’s cherished evil. The negated clause velo {וְלֹ֣א | wə-lōʾ} + yaazvennah {יַֽעַזְבֶ֑נָּה | yaʿazbennāh} adds a second, parallel action: he refuses to let it go. A third coordinated verb, veyimnaennah {וְ֝יִמְנָעֶ֗נָּה | wə-yimnaʿennāh}, intensifies the portrayal by describing active “holding back,” not merely passive keeping. The final prepositional phrase betokh {בְּת֣וֹךְ | bə-ṯôḵ} + khikho {חִכּֽוֹ | ḥikkô} locates the object “within his palate,” a vivid mouth-image that depicts savoring and concealment: what should be expelled is instead kept inside. English can reflect this progression by preserving the coordinated clauses (“and… and…”) and by making the location phrase the climax of the sentence. |