| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew opens with the articular participle ha’ozvim {הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִם | ha-‘oẓvîm} ‘those who leave,’ functioning as a nominal clause subject. The construct phrase orkhoth yosher {אָרְח֣וֹת יֹ֑שֶׁר | ’orḵôṯ yôšer} ‘paths of uprightness’ links a plural noun with an abstract noun to express moral courses. The infinitive construct lalekhet {לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת | lālékhet} ‘to walk’ introduces a purpose clause, completed by the construct bedarkhei-choshekh {בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ | bə-daṟḵê-ḥōšêḵ} ‘in the ways of darkness.’ English renders the infinitive purpose as “to walk,” preserving the intentional nuance, and reproduces the maqqef-bound phrase as “ways of darkness” to reflect the Hebrew unity. |