| 35. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses a series of vav-consecutive verbs to depict rapid action. Veyatsati {וְיָצָ֧אתִי | wə-ya-ṣā-ʾə-tî} ‘and I went out’ initiates the pursuit with acharav {אַחֲרָיו | ʾă-ḥă-rā-w} ‘after him’. The coordinated hifil perfects vehikkitiv {וְהִכִּתִ֖יו | wə-ḥik-kî-tîw} ‘and I struck him’ and vehitsalti {וְהִצַּ֣לְתִּי | wə-ḥiṣ-ṣal-tî} ‘and I rescued’, the latter marked for source by mipiv {מִפִּיו | mi-ppi-w}, intensify the narrative. Vayyaqam {וַיָּ֣קָם | way-ya-qām} ‘and he rose up’ shifts focus to the adversary. The following hifil perfect wehechezaqti {וְהֶחֱזַ֙קְתִּי | wə-he-ḥe-zaq-tî} ‘and I seized’ with bizqano {בִּזְקָנוֹ | bi-zqān-o} ‘by his beard’ sets up the final actions. The sequence vehikkitiv and vahamitiv {wa-ha-mit-tîw} conveys decisive victory. English rendering employs dynamic verbs and concise clauses to reflect the Hebrew’s momentum and causative force. |