| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} initiating two parallel prohibitions: tegallēh {תְגַלֵּ֑ה | təgallēh} ‘you shall uncover’ and tikrāv {תִקְרָ֔ב | tiqrāḇ} ‘you shall approach’. The complex construct chain erwat-achi-avikha {עֶ֣רְוַת־אֲחִֽי־אָבִ֖יךָ | ʿerwāṯ-ʾaḥî-ʾāviḵā} foregrounds kinship boundaries, while the prepositional phrase el-ishto {אֶל־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ | ʾel-ʾištō} clearly marks the prohibited object. The final resumptive identification hiw {הִֽוא׃ | hīʾw} ‘she’ delivers an emphatic reason clause, reinforcing the kinship restriction. This paired imperative structure, combined with a resumptive explanatory tag, ensures legal clarity and emphasis on family boundaries. |