| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a series of temporal markers me’olam {מֵעוֹלָם | mê-ʿô-lām} ‘from eternity’, mê-rôʾš {מֵרֹאשׁ | mê-rôʾš} ‘from the beginning’, and miqadmê-’āreṣ {מִקַּדְמֵי־אָרֶץ | mi-qadmê-’ā-reṣ} ‘from the beginnings of the earth’. This parallel structure with asyndeton emphasizes the vast scope of Wisdom’s existence. The passive nuance of nissakhti {נִסַּכְתִּי | nis-sāḵ-tî} ‘I was established’ highlights being placed rather than active creation. The progression from cosmic to terrestrial orientation frames Wisdom’s relation to creation. The English version preserves this flow with matched prepositional phrases and commas reflecting the Hebrew poetic rhythm. |