| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew construct shod-r'sha'im {שֹׁד־רְשָׁעִ֥ים | šô-ḏ-rə-šā-ʿîm} links violence {שֹׁד | šô-ḏ} ‘violent force’ and the wicked {רְשָׁעִים | rĕ-šā-ʿîm} ‘morally corrupt ones’, emphasizing that their downfall is rooted in their own character. The Hiphil imperfect verb yegorem {יְגוֹרֵ֑ם | yĕ-gō-rēm} expresses causation, showing that this violence actively drags them away. The conjunction ki {כִּ֥י | kî} introduces the causal clause, while the Qal perfect me'anu {מֵ֝אֲנוּ | mē-ʾa-nū} marks a completed and resolute refusal. The infinitive construct la'asot {לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | la-ʿă-śôt} governs mishpat {מִשְׁפָּֽט | miš-pā-ṭ} ‘justice’, specifying the ethical duty they reject. The placement of cause after consequence in Hebrew heightens the rhetorical impact, which is conveyed in English by preserving the causal relation and smoothing the sequence. |