לְפָנֶ֔יךָ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לְפָנֶ֔יךָ

   le-fa-NE-kha

   before you
2. clause🔊 כִּֽי־יָצָ֤א הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

   ki-ya-TSA ha-e-lo-HIM le-fa-NE-kha le-ha-KOT et-ma-kha-NE pe-lish-TIM

   for he has gone out God before you to strike {direct object marker} camp of Philistines
3. sentence🔊 וִ֠יהִי כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ אֶת־ק֤וֹל הַצְּעָדָה֙ בְּרָאשֵׁ֣י הַבְּכָאִ֔ים אָ֖ז תֵּצֵ֣א בַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה כִּֽי־יָצָ֤א הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

   vi-HI ke-sha-me-A-kha et-KOL ha-tse-a-DA be-ra-SHE ha-be-kha-IM AZ te-TSE va-mil-kha-MA ki-ya-TSA ha-e-lo-HIM le-fa-NE-kha le-ha-KOT et-ma-kha-NE pe-lish-TIM

   and it will be when you hear {direct object marker} voice or sound of the marching in the tops of the baka-trees then you shall go out in the battle for he has gone out God before you to strike {direct object marker} camp of Philistines

Exegesis

The clause ki-yatsa ha-elohim lefanekha {כִּי־יָצָא הָאֱלֹהִים לְפָנֶיךָ | kî-yāṣāʾ hā ʾĕlōhîm lə-pānêḵā} forms a causal explanation that foregrounds divine initiative, and the infinitive lehakot {לְהַכּוֹת | lə-hak-kôt} governs et-machaneh pelishtim {אֶת־מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים | ʾet maḥănêh pəlišṭîm} “camp of the Philistines.” Hatshe’adah is rendered “sound of marching” to reflect its military context, and beka’im is translated “balsam trees” in alignment with verse 14.