| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The repetition of ra {רַע | raʿ} functions as intensification through parallelism, emphasizing the buyer’s dismissal of the item’s value. The imperfect verb yomar {יֹאמַר | yō-mär} introduces direct speech in a habitual-bargaining context. The participle ha-qoneh {הַקּוֹנֶה | hä-qō-nēh} names the speaker, while the vav-conjunctive participle ve-ozel {וְאֹזֵל | wə-’ō-zēl} forms a sequential temporal clause with az {אָז | ōz} marking the transition. The final Hitpael imperfect yithallel {יִתְהַלָּל | yiṯ-hal-lāl} indicates reflexive boasting as a result of the preceding action. Hebrew verb-subject order in the opening clause highlights the buyer’s declaration, and the coordinated participial clauses underscore the narrative progression from devaluation to self-exaltation, a rhetorical device illustrating marketplace deceit. |