| 44. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs the coordinated subjects veavdekha {וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ | wə-ʿaḇ·dᵊ-kha} “and your male slave” and vaamatkha {וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ | va-ʾa·māṯ-kha} “and your female slave,” each modified by a relative clause (asher yihyulakh) marking future possession. The source expression meet hagoyim asher sevivotekhem “from the nations which surround you” precedes the imperfect tiknu, highlighting formal acquisition from outside Israel. The placement of relative clauses before and after the subject creates a definitional framing that emphasizes legal categories and ethnic distinctions. |