| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs two coordinate clauses to present a clear antithesis. The first begins with the prepositional phrase bechol {בְּכָל־ | bə-ḵāl} ‘in all’ modifying the noun etzev {עֶ֭צֶב | ʿe-ṯsev} ‘toil’. This is followed by the predictive Qal imperfect yihyeh {יִהְיֶ֣ה | yiḥ-yéh} and the nominal predicate motar {מוֹתָ֑ר | mō-ṯār} ‘profit’. The conjunction vav introduces a second clause with u-devar {וּדְבַר־ | u-ḏə-ḇār} ‘and word’ in construct with sefatayim {שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם | sə-p̄ā-ṯā-yim} ‘lips’. The adversative particle akh {אַךְ־ | ʾăḵ} ‘only’ signals the contrasting outcome expressed by the substantive infinitive le-machsor {לְמַחְסֽוֹר | lə-maḥ-ṣôr} ‘to lack’. The balanced word order and sound repetition underscore the pragmatic contrast between productive effort and idle speech, a contrast preserved in English through parallel clauses and the adversative “but.” |