| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the negative particle al {אַל | ʾal} followed by titav {תִּתְאָו | tit-tā-ʾôw}, a Qal imperfect verb form marked with a paragogic nun that conveys ongoing or intense longing. The prepositional construct phrase lematammotav {לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו | lə-ma-ṭa-ʿam-mō-ṯāw} “for his delicacies” functions as the object of that longing. The conjunction ve {וְ | wə} introduces an explanatory clause beginning with the pronoun hu {הוּא | hūʾ}, referring back to the delicacies, and predicates the noun lechem {לֶחֶם | le-ḥem} “bread,” which is qualified by the construct phrase kezavim {כְּזָבִים | kə-zā-vīm} “of lies.” This compact verb–object–conjunction–pronoun–predicate order yields a clear prohibition linked by a causal relation, which English renders with an initial negative imperative and the causal conjunction “for,” preserving both force and vivid metaphor. |