| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive verb va-o-mar {וָאֹמַ֣ר | wā-ʾō-mar} ‘and I said’, signaling the start of direct divine discourse. The independent pronoun atem {אַתֶּם֮ | ʾat-tem} ‘you’ functions as the addressee. The imperfect verb tirshu {תִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ | tir-šû} ‘you shall inherit’ and the cohortative ettennah {אֶתְּנֶ֤נָּה | ʾet-tə-nā(h)} ‘I will give (it)’ form a parallel construction emphasizing divine grant and human reception. The infinitive construct la-reshet {לָרֶ֣שֶׁת | lā-re-šet} with the pronoun otah {אֹתָ֔הּ | ʾō-tā(h)} establishes purpose. The noun phrase erets zavat khalav udvash {אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ | ʾe-reṣ zā-ḇat ḥā-lāḇ u-ḏə-ḇāš} depicts a land characterized by continual abundance through the participle zavat ‘flowing’. The declaration ani Yahweh eloheikhem {אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | ʾă-nî Yə-hō-wāh ʾĕ-lō-hē-khem} introduces the divine title, linked to the relative clause asher-hibdalti-etkhem {אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי אֶתְכֶם | ʾă-šer hib-dal-tî ʾet-khem} ‘who has separated you’, where the Hiphil perfect conveys the definitiveness of Israel’s separation from the nations (min-haammim {מִן־הָֽעַמִּֽים | min-hā-ʿam-mîm}). The translation maintains the Hebrew word-order markers and vav-consecutive narrative flow, balancing literal fidelity with English readability. |