| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The participle boteach {בּוֹטֵ֣חַ | bō·ṯē·aḥ} heads the first clause as the subject, modified by the prepositional phrase beashro {בְּ֭עָשְׁרוֹ | bᵉʿā·šrō} indicating the locus of trust. The pronoun hu {ה֣וּא | hūʾ} intensifies focus before the verb yipol {יִפֹּל | yiṯ·pōl}, which announces the downfall. The conjunction ve-ke-aleh {וְ֝כֶעָלֶ֗ה | wᵉḵᵉ·ʿā·lēʰ} introduces a parallel clause with tsaddiqim {צַדִּיקִ֥ים | ṣad·dî·qîm} as its subject and yifrachu {יִפְרָֽחוּ | yiṯ·rā·ḥû} as the ensuing verb, the simile ‘like a leaf’ balancing fragility and vitality. This chiastic structure contrasts misguided confidence with moral flourishing, a hallmark of Hebrew wisdom poetry. |