| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the direct address aleikhem {אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם | ʾă-lê-khem} ‘to you’, immediately marking the audience before the vocative ishim {אִישִׁ֣ים | ʾî-šîm} ‘men’. The verb ekra {אֶקְרָ֑א | ʾē-qrāʾ} ‘I call’ in the Qal imperfect underscores an ongoing summons. The conjunction vav introduces veqoli {וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י | wə-qōlî} ‘and my voice’, creating a parallel structure that intensifies the proclamation. Finally, the prepositional phrase el bnei Adam {אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָם | ʾel bə-nê ʾā-dām} ‘to the sons of Adam’ broadens the address to all descendants, with bnei forming a construct chain typical for ‘children of man’. The progression from a direct audience to universal scope reflects a rhetorical escalation that underscores the inclusive reach of the summons. |