| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The opening adverb lachen {לָכֵ֖ן | lâ-ḵên} ‘therefore’ functions as a result marker linking back to God’s earlier warning, while the imperative emor {אֱמֹ֑ר | ’ê-môr} introduces a divine command. The emphatic particle hineni {הִנְנִ֨י | hin-nê-nî} highlights the speaker’s immediate presence, followed by the participle noten {נֹתֵ֥ן | nō-ṯên} which conveys ongoing divine action. The prepositional phrase lo {ל֛וֹ | lō} identifies the recipient, and the particle et {אֶת־ | ’eṯ-} signals the direct object. The construct chain beriti shalom {בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלוֹם | bə-rîṯî šā-lōm} tightly binds “my covenant” to “peace,” specifying the covenant’s nature. This sequence creates a legal-proclamatory structure that emphasizes both the divine initiative and the relational bond established through the covenant. |