| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the infinitive absolute yadoa {יָדֹעַ | yā·ḏō·aʿ} ‘knowing’ reinforcing the following imperfect teda {תֵּדַע | tē·ḏaʿ} ‘you shall know,’ a prototypical Hebrew emphatic construction. The compound term penei tsonakha {פְּנֵי צֹאנֶךָ | pə·nê ṣō·nə·ḵā} ‘faces of your flocks’ uses ‘face’ figuratively for condition in a masculine plural construct. The imperative shit {שִׁית | šîṯ} ‘set’ governs the object libekha {לִבְּךָ | liḇ·ḵā} ‘your heart,’ while the prepositional phrase laadarim {לַעֲדָרִים | la·ʿă·dā·rîm} ‘to the herds’ specifies scope. This parallelism of cognitive and volitional imperatives (infinitive absolute + imperfect alongside an imperative) creates a chiastic balance that underscores both knowledge and dedication in responsible stewardship. |