| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew lists four feminine singular absolutes—almanah {אַלְמָנָה | 'almanâh}, ugerushah {וּגְרוּשָׁה | wəgə-rûšâ}, vachalalah {וַחֲלָלָה | waḥălālāh}, zonah {זוֹנָה | zônâh}—to enumerate prohibited marriage categories. The direct object marker et with eleh {אֶת־אֵלֶּה | 'et-'êlleh} marks these as objects of the negative imperative. The verb yiqqâḥ recurs under the negative particle lo {לֹא | lô} and the adversative construction ki im {כִּי־אִם | kî 'im}, contrasting exclusion and inclusion. The construct phrase mê-'ammāv {מֵעַמָּיו | mê-'ammāv} ‘from his people’ establishes ethno-covenantal boundaries. The parallel repetition of yiqqâḥ creates a chiastic framework emphasizing the priest’s agency and the ritual significance of marital purity. |