| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the felicity formula ashrei {אַשְׁרֵי | ʾaš-rê} ‘blessed’ introducing the main assertion, followed by the subject noun adam {אָדָם | ʾā-ḏām} ‘person’. The participial phrase mefached {מְפַחֵד | mə-phā-ḥêḏ} ‘fearing’ combined with the adverb tamid {תָּמִיד | tā-mîḏ} ‘continually’ functions as a qualifier of the subject. The conjunction vav introduces an antithetical clause with u-maksheh {וּמַקְשֶׁה | ū-mak-šêh} ‘and hardens’ linked to libbo {לִבּוֹ | lib-bō} ‘his heart’. The imperfect yipol {יִפֹּל | yip-pōl} ‘will fall’ sets a future result delivered by the prepositional phrase bera‘ah {בְּרָעָה | bə-rā-‘āh} ‘into evil’. This parallel structure contrasts a posture of reverent fear with the consequence of a hardened heart. |