| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the particle pen {פֶּן | pen} ‘lest’, introducing a negative purpose clause. The Qal imperfect yir’eh {יִרְאֶה | yir’ēh} ‘he sees’ follows, with Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} as its subject, establishing divine scrutiny. The coordinate phrase ve-ra {וְרַע | wə-ra‘} ‘and evil’ be-einav {בְּעֵינָיו | bə-‘ê-nāw} ‘in his eyes’ conveys a subjective assessment in the divine perspective. The vav consecutive Hifil form ve-heshiv {וְהֵשִׁיב | wə-hē-šîḇ} ‘and he will-turn’ introduces the consequential removal of anger, appo {אַפּוֹ | ’āp-pō} ‘his anger’, from the offender. This structure underscores a conditional warning followed by divine response based on moral perception. |