| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs synonymous parallelism by contrasting the participle yodea {יוֹדֵעַ | yŏ-dē-‘a} ‘he knows’ with the adversative vav clause modifying verachamei resha‘im {וְרַחֲמֵי רְשָׁעִים | wĕ-raḥ-ămê re-šā‘îm} ‘and the mercies of the wicked’. The participle yodea heads a verb–subject construction with tsaddiq {צַדִּיק | ṣad-dîq} serving as subject “the righteous.” The object is expressed by the construct chain “nefesh behemeto,” where nefesh {נֶפֶשׁ | né-pheš} ‘soul, life’ is governed by behemeto {בְּהֶמְתּוֹ | bə-hêm-ṯô} ‘his animal,’ highlighting personal care. The adversative conjunction “but” introduces the second member, in which the ironic use of verachamei is qualified by akhzari {אַכְזָרִי | ’ă-khă-zârî} ‘cruel.’ This structure underscores the moral contrast between genuine compassion and deceptive kindness. |