| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vehayetah {וְהָיְתָ֥ה | wə-hā-yā-ṯāh}, a vav-consecutive Qal perfect signaling establishment of a legal command. The construct lechukat olam {לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָ֑ם | lə-ḥuk-kat ʿō-lām} marks an enduring statute. Temporal layering appears in bachodesh hashevi'i {בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי | ba-ḥō-deš ha-šə-vī-ʾī} ‘in the seventh month’ followed by be'asor lachodesh {בֶּעָשׂ֨וֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ | be-ʿā-ṣōr la-ḥō-deš} ‘on the tenth of the month.’ The Piel imperfect te'anu governs et-nafshotekhem {אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם | et-naf-šō-tê-khem} ‘afflict your souls,’ an idiom for fasting or self-denial. The prohibition ve-khol-melakhah lo ta'asu {וְכָל־מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ | wə-ḵōl-me-lā-ḵā lōʾ ta-ʿă-sū} is absolute, including haezrach {הָאֶזְרָ֔ח | hā-ʾe-zrā-ḥ} ‘native-born’ and ve-ha-ger ha-gar {וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר | wə-ha-gēr ha-gār} ‘the sojourner,’ with the participle of hagar emphasizing ongoing residence. English renders the sequence in segmented clauses to preserve legal nuance and communal scope. |