| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vayishava {וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣ע | wayyiššāˈḇa}, a vav-consecutive Qal imperfect indicating a solemn oath, followed by the subject Mosheh {מֹשֶׁה | mō-śāˈhē}. The temporal phrase bayom hahu {בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא | ba-yôm ha-hūˈ} anchors the timing. Leemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-ʾōˈmôr} introduces direct speech marked by the Hebrew oath idiom imlo {אִם־לֹא | ʾim-lō}, literally “if not,” functioning as an emphatic “surely.” The clause haaretz asher darekhah raglekha bah {הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דָּרְכָ֤ה רַגְלְךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ} uses the relative pronoun asher and perfect darekhah to describe the land traversed by the foot. The promise is articulated with the imperfect tihyeh {תִּהְיֶה | tih-yêh}, denoting future possession, specifying lenachalah {לְנַחֲלָה | lə-na-ḥă-lāh} and ulevanekha {וּלְבָנֶיךָ | u-lə-vā-nĕ-ḵā} for heirs, and adolam {עַד־עוֹלָם | ʿad-ō-lām} for perpetuity. The causal conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the justification milleta acharei Yahweh Elohai {מִלֵּאתָ אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי}, where the Piel perfect milleta conveys wholehearted loyalty “you have fully followed” the divine name Yahweh Elohai. |