| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav consecutive formula way·ya·ʿan {וַיַּ֤עַן | way·ya·ʿan} ‘and he answered’ followed by way·yō·mer {וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | way·yō·mer} ‘and he said’, introducing the royal directive. The Piel imperative dab·bĕ·rû {דַּבְּרוּ | dab·bĕ·rû} commands the envoys, and the prohibitive particle al {אַל | al} precedes the Hitpael imperfect yit·hal·lēl {יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל | yit·hal·lēl} ‘let him boast’, creating a jussive prohibition. The comparative prefix ki in kimpattē·aḥ {כִּמְפַתֵּֽחַ | ki·mĕ·pattē·aḥ} ‘like one who loosens’ contrasts with the participle ḥō·gēr {חֹגֵ֖ר | ḥō·gēr} ‘one who girds on’, forming a proverb-like antithesis that warns against premature triumph. The Hebrew word order foregrounds the preparatory action before the caution, and the transition from arming to disarming emphasizes the reversal of circumstances from readiness to victorious completion. |