| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the noun dor {דּוֹר | dôr} ‘generation’, functioning as the topical subject of an implied exclamation. It immediately follows the exclamatory particle mah {מָה | māh} ‘how’, forming a rhetorical question that conveys moral rebuke. The perfect verb ramu {רָמוּ | rā-mû} ‘are lofty’ predicates the construct noun einav {עֵינָיו | ’ê-nāw} ‘his eyes’, with the plural construct indicating a collective reference. The coordinate clause ve-af‘āpav {וְעַפְעַפָּיו | wə-‘ap-‘ā-pāv} ‘and his eyelids’ paired with the Niphal imperfect yinnāsē’û {יִנָּשֵׂאוּ | yinnāsē’û} ‘are lifted up’ establishes parallelism that intensifies the visual metaphor of self-exaltation. This parallel structure underscores the theme of arrogance through bodily imagery. In translation, the Hebrew perfect and imperfect aspects are rendered in the English present tense to convey an ongoing characteristic, while the coordinate linkage preserves the poetic balance. |