| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the third person masculine singular verb yaset {יָשֶׁת | yā-šēt}, indicating God’s active placement. The noun choshekh {חֹשֶׁךְ | ḥō-šeḵ} in absolute form combines with sitro {סִתְרוֹ | sit-rō} in construct to convey a protective concealment. This parallels sevivotav {סְבִיבֹתָיו | sə-vî-ḇō-ṯāw} and sukkato {סֻכָּתוֹ | suk-ka-tō}, both construct forms with third person masculine singular suffixes, to emphasize divine enclosure. The construct phrase cheshkat-mayim {חֶשְׁכַּת־מַיִם | ḥeš-kaṯ-ma-yim}, modified by the adjective avei {עָבֵי | ʿā-ḇê}, creates layered imagery from the cosmic waters to the sky. The simple nominal clause structure intensifies the portrayal of God’s inscrutable hiddenness. |