| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vehanafesh {וְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁ | wə-han-ne-pheš} ‘and the soul’, establishing the legal subject. The relative clause asher-taaseh {אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה | ʾa-šer-ta-ʿa-śeh} ‘who acts’ is followed by the idiom beyad ramah {בְּיָ֣ד רָמָ֗ה | bə-yad rā-māh} ‘with a high hand’, conveying intentional defiance. The inclusive formula min-haezrach u-min-hager {מִן־הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ וּמִן־הַגֵּ֔ר | min-hā-ʾe-zraḥ u-min-ha-gēr} extends the law’s scope. The direct object et-Yahweh {אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה | ʾet-yə-hō-wāh} frames Yahweh as the target of megaddef {מְגַדֵּ֑ף | me-ḡad-def} ‘blasphemes’, the main predicate. The connective ve-nichretah {וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה | və-ni-khre-tāh} ‘and shall be cut off’ indicates divine enforcement, and the construct mi-kerev ammah {מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ | mi-qe-rev ʿam-mah} ‘from the midst of her people’ specifies the communal removal. |