| 34. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the interrogative ve'ekh {וְאֵיךְ | wəʾêykh} ‘and how’, posing a direct challenge, followed by the Piel imperfect tenachamuni {תְּנַחֲמוּנִי | tənaḥāmûnî} ‘you comfort me’, which directly addresses Job’s friends. The noun havel {הָבֶל | ḥā·ḇel} ‘emptiness’ underscores the vacuity of their consolation. The conjunction wə introduces teshuvoteykhem {וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם | ṯəšū-ḇō-ṯêy-khem} ‘your answers’, maintaining Hebrew parallelism. The Niphal perfect nish'ar {נִשְׁאַר | nišʾār} ‘remains’ paired with the noun ma'al {מָעַל | māʿal} ‘treachery’ forms a summative indictment. The linked vav clauses create a swift progression from rhetorical question to censure, and the English preserves this sequence and contrast. |