| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs synonymous parallelism to contrast outcomes. The noun simchah {שִׂמְחָה | sĭm-ḥāh} ‘joy’ governs the prepositional phrase la-ṣad-dîq {לַצַּדִּיק | la-ṣad-dîq} ‘to the righteous’, followed by ʿă-šôṯ mišpā-ṭ {עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט | ʿă-šôṯ miš-pā-ṭ} expressing the action of doing justice. The second clause mirrors this structure with wə-maḥîṯ-tāh {וּמְחִתָּה | wə-maḥîṯ-tāh} ‘and destruction’ paired with lə-pōʿ-ă-lê ʾā-wên {לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן | lə-pōʿ-ă-lê ʾā-wên} ‘to the workers of iniquity’, preserving cause and effect. The coordinating vav links the parallel clauses, and the infinitive constructs emphasize purpose. This chiastic arrangement underscores the moral contrast between justice and wrongdoing. |