| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ish beli-yaal {אִישׁ בְלִיַּעַל | ʾîš bə-lî-ya-ʿal} ‘man of worthlessness’, where the construct noun beli-yaal conveys moral emptiness. The participial clause koreh raah {כֹּרֶה רָעָה | kô-reh ra-ʿâ} ‘digs evil’ indicates ongoing harmful action. The locative ve-al plus sefatav {וְעַל־שְׂפָתָיו | wə-ʿal-sə-pha-tā-v} ‘on his lips’ specifies the source of destruction. The simile ke-esh tsaravet {כְּאֵשׁ צָרָבֶת | kə-ʾêš tsā-rā-vet} ‘like a scorching fire’ employs vivid imagery to illustrate the consuming power of harmful speech. |