| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayhi {וַיְהִ֗י | wă-yhí} ‘and it happened’, signaling sequential action. The temporal infinitive kirʾot {כִּרְאוֹת֙ | kî-rʾôṯ} ‘when seeing’ introduces the construct pair sarei harekhev {שָׂרֵ֣י הָרֶכֶב֔ | sarê hā-rē-kheḇ} ‘commanders of the chariot’. The conjunction ki {כִּ֥י | kî} ‘that’ leads into the content clause lohayah {לֹא־הָיָ֖ה | lō-hā-yāh} ‘was not’ modifying the title melekh Yisraʾel {מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | mêleḵ Yiśrāʾēl} ‘king of Israel’. The narrative then resumes with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayashuvu {וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ | wă-yā-šû-vû} ‘and they turned back’, and the prepositional phrase meʾacharav {מֵאַחֲרָֽיו | mê-ʾă-ḥă-rāw} ‘from after him’ completes the motion. English employs “When” or “As soon as” to preserve the Hebrew sequence emphasizing recognition prior to retreat. |