| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the personified imperative cherev {חֶ֗רֶב | ḥé-rev} ‘sword’, followed by uri {עוּרִ֤י | ʿû-rî} ‘awake’, establishing an image of divine judgment. The paired prepositional phrases al-ro‘i ve-al-geber {עַל־רֹעִי וְעַל־גֶּבֶר | ʿal-rō-ʿî wə-ʿal-ge-ḇer} target “my shepherd” and “my companion,” intensifying the personal nature of the command. The declaration ne‘um Yahweh tzvaot {נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת | nə-ʾum Yə-hō-wāh ṣə-ḇā-ʾōṯ} introduces the prophetic oracle. The Hifil imperative hak ’et-ha-rō‘eh {הַךְ אֶת־הָרֹעֶה | ḥak ʾet-hā-rō-ʿeh} orders the striking of the shepherd, and the Pual imperfect u-tefutsena ha-tzon {וּתְפוּצֶיןָ הַצֹּאן | û-tə-fū-ṣē-nā ha-ṣōn} depicts the resultant scattering, showing cause and effect. The final va-hashivoti yadi al-ha-tzoarim {וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֥י יָדִ֖י עַל־הַצֹּעֲרִֽים | wa-ha-ši-ḇō-tî yā-ḏî ʿal-ha-ṣō-ʿa-rîm} uses a Hifil perfect in the first person to convey decisive divine intervention against the vulnerable. |