| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The proverb begins with a nominal subject, tohelet memushakhah {תּוֹחֶ֣לֶת מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָה | tô-che-let mə-mû-sha-kha} ‘delayed hope,’ followed by the predicate machalah-lev {מַחֲלָה־לֵ֑ב | ma-ḥă-lāh-lev} ‘heart sickness.’ The prefixed waw at וְעֵץ introduces an adversative turn. In the verbless clause ve-etz chayyim taavah baah {וְעֵץ חַיִּים תַּאֲוָה בָאָֽה | wə-ʿê-ts ḥay-yîm ta-ʾă-wāh bā-ʾāh}, etz chayyim ‘tree of life’ and taavah baah ‘desire comes’ form an identitarian metaphor that contrasts malady with renewal. The construct relationship in etz chayyim invokes life-giving imagery familiar from ancient wisdom literature. |