| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ushemartem {וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם | ū-šə-martem} ‘and you shall keep’, a vav conversive + Qal perfect + second person masculine plural conveying a divine imperative. The direct object markers et {אֶת־ | ʾet} and ve'et {וְאֶת־ | wə-ʾet} introduce chukotai {חֻקֹּתַי | ḥû-qqō-tāy} ‘my statutes’ and mishpatai {מִשְׁפָּטַי | miš-pā-ṭāy} ‘my judgments’ with first person singular possession. The relative particle asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} frames a subordinate clause in which ya'aseh {יַעֲשֶׂה | ya-ʿă-śeh} ‘he shall do’ takes otam {אֹתָם | ʾō-ṯām} ‘them’ as object and ha'adam {הָאָדָם | hā-ʾā-ḏām} ‘the person’ as subject. A vav conversive initiates the result clause at vachai {וָחַי | wə-ḥāy} ‘and shall live’, establishing the link between obedience and life. The instrumental prepositional phrase bahem {בָּהֶם | bā-hem} emphasizes reliance on these commands. Finally, the copulative clause ani Yahweh {אֲנִי יְהוָה | ʾănî Yə-hō-wāh} asserts divine identity and authority, anchoring the legal structure in covenantal sovereignty. |