| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the waw-conversive verb va'ehyeh {וָאֶהְיֶה | wā-ʾeh-yeh} ‘and I was,’ introducing the declaration of moral status. The predicate adjective tamim {תָמִים | tā-mîm} ‘blameless’ characterizes completeness of integrity. The prepositional phrase immo {עִמּוֹ | ʿim-mō} ‘with him’ establishes proximity to the LORD. The reflexive Nifal verb va'eshtamer {וָאֶשְׁתַּמֵּר | wā-ʾeš-ta-mēr} ‘and I kept myself’ highlights personal agency. The phrase me'avoni {מֵעֲוֹנִי | mē-ʿa-vô-nî} ‘from my iniquity’ defines the moral boundary avoided. In rendering the sentence, English shifts from Hebrew VSO to SVO order, preserving emphasis on the subject’s integrity before the divine. |