| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse displays two parallel clauses: torat Yahweh {תּוֹרַת יְהוָה | tō-rāṯ Yəhōwāh} ‘law of the LORD’ modified by temimah {תְּמִימָה | təmîmâh} ‘perfect’ and meshivat nefesh {מְשִׁיבַת נֶפֶשׁ | məšîḇāṯ nepeš} ‘restoring the soul’, paralleled by edut Yahweh {עֵדוּת יְהוָה | ʿēdūṯ Yəhōwāh} ‘testimony of the LORD’ with neemanah {נֶאֱמָנָה | neʾēmānâh} ‘trustworthy’ and machkimat peti {מַחְכִּימַת פֶּתִי | maḥkîmmāṯ peṯî} ‘making wise the simple’. The construct chains mark divine possession and the participles convey ongoing benefit, supporting gerund renderings in English. |