| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the causal conjunction ki {כִּי־ | kî} ‘for’ introducing the reason for divine response. The direct address ’attā {אַתָּה | ʾattā} ‘you’ emphasizes God’s agency. The construct phrase ’am ’ānî {עַם־עָנִי | ʿam–ʿānî} ‘people afflicted’ binds “people” with “afflicted” to denote a collective of the humble. The paired Hifil imperfect verbs tôšîaʿ {תוֹשִׁיעַ | tôšîʿa} ‘you save’ and tašpîl {תַּשְׁפִּיל | tašpîl} ‘you bring low’ form chiastic parallelism illustrating reversal: salvation for the lowly and humiliation for the proud. The imagery of rāmôt {רָמוֹת | rāmôt} ‘lofty eyes’ conveys arrogance, and its juxtaposition with the afflicted underscores the psalm’s theme of divine justice. |