| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse presents two linked petitions. The first clause employs the imperative verb zakrah-li {זָכְרָה־לִּ֥י | zākh-rāh-lî} ‘remember to me’ followed by the prepositional phrase al-zot {עַל־זֹאת | ʿal-zōth} ‘on this’, specifying the grounds for the appeal. The second petition begins with the vav-consecutive ve-al {וְאַל | wə-ʾal} ‘and do not’ plus the Qal imperfect temakh {תֶּמַח | tēm-ākh} ‘you blot out’, forming a jussive negative plea. The direct object is the plural possessive noun khasadai {חֲסָדַי | ḥă-sā-dāy} ‘my kindnesses’, modified by the relative clause asher asiti {אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי | ʾă-šer ʿā-śî-tî} ‘which I have done’. The locative phrases beveit Elohai {בְּבֵית אֱלֹהַי | bə-bêyt ʾĕ-lō-hāy} ‘in the house of my God’ and u-ve-mishmarav {וּבְמִשְׁמָרָיו | wə-bim-mish-mār-āv} ‘and in its services’ delineate the sphere of those deeds. The coordination underscores both the plea for positive remembrance and the plea against loss of merit, reflecting Hebrew rhetoric that couples petition and protection of reward. |