| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the interrogative ummah {וּמָה | ū-mā(h)} ‘and what’, introducing an evaluative question. A noun phrase ha-shemenah {הַשְּׁמֵנָה | ha-šə-mē-nā(h)} ‘the fertile one’ is contrasted with razah {רָזָה | rā-zā(h)} ‘lean’ through the conditional particle im {אִם | ʾim}, setting up a qualitative assessment of the soil. The compound existential ha-yesh-bah {הֲיֵשׁ-בָּהּ | ha-yēš-bāh} ‘is there?’ with etz {עֵץ | ʿēṣ} ‘tree’ frames an availability inquiry. The paratactic sequence ve-hitchazakten {וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם | və-hit-ḥaz-zäq-tēm} ‘and you strengthen yourselves’ (Hitpael perfect) and u-lekakhtem {וּלְקַחְתֶּם | u-lə-ḵaḥ-tēm} ‘and you take’ (Qal perfect) issues an exhortation. Finally, the temporal clause ve-ha-yamim yemei bikurei anavim {וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים | və-hā-ya-mîm yə-mē bik-ū-rê ʿa-nā-vîm} situates the action “in the days of the grapes’ firstfruits,” using a construct chain to link days, firstfruits, and grapes in successive genitive relationships. |