| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew noun construct taavat atsel {תַּאֲוַת עָצֵל | tāʼăwāṯ ʿāṣēl} ‘desire of sluggard’ establishes possession and emphasizes the sluggard’s internal impulse. The verb temitennu {תְּמִיתֶנּוּ | tə-mî-te-nnû} in Hiphil imperfect with pronominal suffix conveys a causative action (“will put him to death”). The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the reason clause. Meanu yadav {מֵאֲנוּ יָדָיו | mēʼă-nûnû yā-dāw} pairs a plural verb with a dual possessive noun to stress the hands’ refusal. The infinitive laasot {לַעֲשׂוֹת | la-ʿă-śôt} marks purpose (“to do”), underlying the sluggard’s failure to perform tasks. English rendering preserves the Hebrew focus on desire leading to inaction and fatal consequence. |