| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the construct chain rav-adam {רָב־אָדָ֗ם | rav-ʾā-dām} ‘many a man’, introducing a general observation about human behavior. The Qal imperfect yikra {יִ֭קְרָא | yiq-rāʾ} conveys habitual action: individuals routinely proclaim their khesed {חַסְדּוֹ | ḥa-səḏ-dô} ‘steadfast love’. The conjunction ve- in ve-ish {וְאִ֥ישׁ | wə-ʾîš} signals a shift to contrast. Emunim {אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים | ʾə-mû-nîm} in the plural absolute functions qualitatively to describe a person defined by faithfulness. Finally, the interrogative mi {מִ֣י | mî} plus imperfect yimtza {יִמְצָֽא | yim-ṣāʾ} form an emphatic question, highlighting the rarity of such a person. In translation, “but” reflects the adversative force of the Hebrew vav. |