| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with viheyitem {וִהְיִ֤יתֶם | wəhiyyîtem} ‘and you will be’, employing a vav-consecutive Qal perfect to continue the covenant directive. The verbless expression li qedoshim {לִי קְדֹשִׁים | lî qĕḏôšîm} asserts Israel’s identity as ‘holy to me’. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} introduces a causal clause that parallels divine character in the emphatic verbless statement kadosh ani Yahweh {קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | qādôš ʾănî Yəhōwāh}. The sequence resumes with vaavdil {וָאַבְדִּ֥ל | wāḇaḏḏîl} ‘and I set apart’, a vav-consecutive Hiphil perfect indicating divine action, with etchem {אֶתְכֶ֛ם | ʾetḵêm} marking the direct object ‘you’ and the prepositional phrase min-haʿammîm {מִן־הָעַמִּים | min-hāʿammîm} ‘from the nations’ specifying the scope of separation. The infinitive construct clause līhyôṯ li {לִהְיוֹת לִֽי | līhyôṯ lî} functions as a purpose clause, denoting belonging. The structure tightly links Israel’s vocation to divine holiness and intentional separation for relationship. |