| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The clause opens with the divine name Yahweh {יְהוָ֗ה | Yə·hō·wāh} as subject, followed by the adjectival phrase ʾerekh-appayim {אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ | ʾe·reḵ ʾap·pay·im} ‘slow to anger’ and the coordinated phrase wə-rav-ḥe·sed {וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד | wə·rav ḥe·sed} ‘abundant in steadfast love’. The participial clause nō·śē ʿā·wōn wā·pā·šaʿ {נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֖ן וָפָ֑שַׁע | nō·śē ʿā·wōn wā·pā·šaʿ} ‘bearing iniquity and transgression’ combined with the emphatic infinitive absolute wə·naq·qē lōʾ yə·naq·qē {וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה | wə·naq·qē lōʾ yə·naq·qē} underscores that God does not simply clear the guilty. The participle pō·qēd ʿā·wōn ʾā·bōṯ {פֹּקֵ֞ד עֲוֺ֤ן אָבוֹת֙ | pō·qēd ʿa·wōn ʾā·bōṯ} ‘visiting the iniquity of the fathers’ introduces the distributive sequence of prepositional phrases ʿal·bā·nîm, ʿal·šillē·šîm, and wə·ʿal·ribbē·ʿîm {עַל־בָּנִ֔ים | ʿal·bā·nîm}, {עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים | ʿal·šillē·šîm}, {וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים | wə·ʿal·ribbē·ʿîm} ‘upon children, the third, and the fourth generations’. This syntax balances divine mercy with righteous accountability. |