| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional particle im {אִם | ʾim} ‘if,’ introducing a protasis that frames a prohibitive outcome. The direct object marker et {אֶת | ʾet} ‘direct object marker’ identifies ha-aretz {הָאָ֔רֶץ | hāʾāreṣ} ‘the land’ as the focal theme. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾăšer} ‘which’ introduces a modifying clause containing the Niphal perfect nišbəʿtî {נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי | nišbəʿtî} ‘I swore’ to lăʾăḇōtām {לַאֲבֹתָ֑ם | lăʾăḇōtām} ‘to their fathers.’ The coordinated clause wəḵōl mənaʾăṣay {וְכָל־מְנַאֲצַ֖י | wəḵōl mənaʾăṣay} ‘and all who despise Me’ employs a Piel participle to intensify contempt. The negative particle lōʾ {לֹא | lōʾ} combined with the imperfect yirʾû/yirʾūhā {יִרְאוּ ... יִרְאוּהָ | yirʾû ... yirʾūhā} establishes a parallel negation that reinforces the certainty of exclusion. This syntactic parallelism highlights the covenantal consequence of contempt. |