| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the temporal vav sequence uvequtsrekhem {וּבְקֻצְרְכֶם | ū-ve-ḳuṣ-rə-ḵem} ‘and when you reap’, setting the time frame. The direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} marks the definite object ketsir-artsekhem {קְצִיר אַרְצְכֶם | ḳə-ṣîr ʾar-ṣə-ḵem} ‘the harvest of your land’ in construct state. Two parallel prohibitions are framed by the negative particle lo {לֹא | lō} with Piel imperfect verbs tekhalleh {תְכַלֶּה | te-ḥal-leh} ‘you shall finish’ and telakket {תְלַקֵּט | te-laq-qêṭ} ‘you shall gather’, creating a legal parallelism. The noun phrase peat sadekha {פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ | pə-ʾat sā-ḏə-ḵā} ‘edge of your field’ and the phrase leket ketsirkha {לֶקֶט קְצִירְךָ | le-qet ḳə-ṣîr-ḵā} ‘gleanings of your harvest’ serve as objects. Beneficiaries are indicated by the prepositions le-ani {לֶעָנִי | le-ʿā-nî} ‘for the poor’ and velager {וְלַגֵּר | wə-la-gêr} ‘and for the sojourner’, reflecting social inclusion. The Qal imperfect imperative taazov {תַּעֲזֹב | ta-ʿa-zôḇ} ‘you shall leave’ resumes the command, and the concluding formula ani Yahweh eloheikhem {אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | ʾa-nî yə-hō-wāh ʾĕ-lō-hê-ḵem} ‘I am the LORD your God’ asserts covenant authority. The English translation preserves the temporal sequence, mirrors the parallel negatives with “nor,” and maintains beneficiary order to echo Hebrew emphasis on compassion and inclusion. |