| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with the interrogative particle mah {מַה | māh}, creating an exclamation of admiration. This is followed by the Qal perfect verb tovu {טֹּבוּ | ṭōvû} in the third person common plural serving as the predicate. The verb precedes its two coordinated possessive subjects, ohalekha {אֹהָלֶיךָ | ʾōhă-lēykhā} and miškenōtēkā {מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ | miškenōtēkā}, each marked with a second-person masculine-singular suffix to indicate ownership by Yaʻaḳôv {יַעֲקֹב | Yaʻaḳôv} and Yiśrāʾēl {יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yiśrāʾēl}. The predicate-before-subject order heightens the sense of wonder, and the subsequent vocatives frame the commendation in balanced parallelism, reinforcing communal identity and lineage. |