| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with vayyiṙdep̄û {וַיִּרְדְּפוּ | wayyirdəp̄û} ‘and they pursued’, a vav-consecutive Qal imperfect that drives rapid action. The coordinated subject Āsāʾ wə-hā-ʿām ʾăšer ʿimmô {אָסָא וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ | Āsāʾ wə-hā-ʿām ʾăšer ʿimmô} unites leadership and followers. The phrase ʿad-Gerār {עַד־גְּרָר | ʿad-Gerār} marks the limit of pursuit. The verb wayyippəlû mikûšîm {וַיִּפְּלוּ מִכּוּשִׁים | wayyippəlû mîkkûšîm} ‘and the Cushites fell’ identifies the defeated foe. The idiom lᵊʾên lāhêm mâḥyêh {לְאֵן לָהֶם מַחְיֶה | lᵊʾên lāhêm mâḥyêh} literally ‘to no sustainer for them’ signals total annihilation, rendered “none remained alive.” The causal clause kî-nišberû liṕnê Yə-hō-wāh {כִּי־נִשְׁבְּרוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה | kî-nišberû liṕnê Yə-hō-wāh}, echoed by ū-lᵊ-pᵊnê maḥănêhû {וּלְפָנֵי מַחֲנֵהוּ | ū-lᵊ-pᵊnê maḥănêhû}, attributes victory to divine agency. Finally, wayyissəʾû šālāl harbəh meʾôḏ {וַיִּשְּׂאוּ שָׁלָל הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד | wayyissəʾû šālāl harbəh meʾôḏ} ‘and they carried off plunder much exceedingly’ uses a standard spoils idiom, which English smooths as “carried off exceedingly much plunder.” |