| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The vav-consecutive vihi {וִיהִי | wîhî} introduces a future narrative assurance and triggers the imperfect in the following verb. The temporal clause keshomakha {כְּשָׁמְעֲךָ | kə-šāmăʿăḵā} with direct object marker et-kol {אֶת־ק֤וֹל | ʾet qōl} sets the time for the signal. Hatshe’adah {הַצְּעָדָה | ha-ṣəʿādāh} “sound of marching” is placed in construct with beroshei {בְּרָאשֵׁי | bə-rā-šeî} “in the tops of” and habeka’im {הַבְּכָאִ֔ים | ha-bə-ḵāʾîm} “balsam trees,” emphasizing the hidden nature of the auditory cue. The sequence az tetse ba-milchamah {אָז תֵּצֵא בַמִּלְחָמָה | ʾāz tēṣēʾ ba-milḥāmāh} marks the responsive action. 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. |