| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The negative particle lo {לֹא | lō} ‘not’ negates the imperfect verb yo’ilu {יוֹעִילוּ | yô-ʿî-lū} ‘they will profit’, forming a timeless negative statement. The noun otzrot {אוֹצְרוֹת | ʾōṣ-rōṯ} enters a construct chain with resha {רֶשַׁע | re-šaʿ} ‘wickedness’, yielding “treasures of wickedness.” The conjunction u {וּ | wə} links this to a second clause where tsedakah {צְדָקָה | ṣə-dā-qā(h)} ‘righteousness’ is subject of the hiphil verb tatzil {תַּצִּיל | taṣ-ṣîl} ‘will deliver’, governing the prepositional phrase mimavet {מִמָּוֶת | mimmā-weṯ} ‘from death.’ The parallel structure contrasts fruitless gain with life-preserving deliverance, rendering the imperfect as a general truth in English. |