| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse features a paired prohibition introduced by the particles al {אַל | ʾal} ‘do not’ and ve-al {וְאַל | wə-ʾal} ‘and do not’. In the first clause the verb tilḥam {תִּלְחַ֗ם | tilḥam} literally ‘fight’ appears with the object et-leḥem ra‘ ayin {אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן | ʾet-leḥem raʿ ʿayin}, forming the idiom ‘eat the bread of one with a stingy eye’, where raʿ ʿayin functions as a genitive expressing begrudging generosity. The second clause mirrors this with titʾāyō {תִּתְאָיו | titʾāyō} ‘crave’ plus its object le-matʿammōtāv {לְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו | lə-maṭʿammōtāv} ‘his delicacies’. This parallel structure emphasizes the warning against accepting or coveting begrudging hospitality. |