| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The clause opens with ufeduyav {וּפְדוּיָו | ūpədûyāw} ‘its redemptions,’ a summary noun indicating the objects of redemption. Mibben-chodesh {מִבֶּן־חֹדֶשׁ | mibbēn-ḥōdeš} ‘from a month-old’ establishes the age requirement. The imperfect verb tifdeh {תִּפְדֶּה | tīpdēh} ‘you shall redeem’ introduces the command. Be’erkecha {בְּעֶרְכְּךָ | bəʿerkəḵā} ‘at your valuation’ frames the legal basis for pricing. The nominal chain kesef chameshet shekalim {כֶּסֶף חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים | keśep ḥāmešet šeqālîm} ‘silver five shekels’ specifies the price in Hebrew numeric order. Beshekel ha-kodesh {בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ | bəšeḵel haqqōdeš} ‘by a sanctuary shekel’ defines the cultic weight standard. Finally, the pronoun hūʾ {הֽוּא | hūʾ} ‘it is’ equates that shekel to twenty gerah {גֵּרָה | gerāh} ‘gerahs.’ This sequence of noun and prepositional phrases underscores the precise legal and ritual structure of the law. |