| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vocative Eloheinu {אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ | ʾĕ-lō-hê-nû} ‘our God,’ establishing an immediate plea. The interrogative halo {הֲלֹ֣א | hă-lōʾ} ‘is it not’ introduces a rhetorical question demanding divine action. The Qal imperfect tišpāṭ-bām {תִשְׁפָּט־בָּ֔ם | ti-špā-ṭ-bām} ‘will you judge them,’ with its prepositional suffix, directs judgment toward the enemies. The existential clause ʾên bānû kōaḥ {אֵ֥ן בָּ֙נוּ֙ כֹּ֔חַ | ʾên bā-nû kō-aḥ} ‘there is not strength in us’ highlights human weakness. The prepositional phrase lifnê hāhāmon hārāv haz-zeh hab-bāʾ ʿālênû {לִפְנֵי הֶהָמ֥וֹן הָרָ֛ב הַזֶּ֖ה הַבָּ֣א עָלֵ֑ינוּ | lif-nê hā-hā-mon hā-rāv haz-zeh hab-bāʾ ʿā-lê-nû} situates the impending threat, and the sequence vā-ʾănakhnû lōʾ nēdaʿ mah-nāʿăśēh {וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ לֹ֤א נֵדַע֙ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה | vā-ʾa-nakh-nû lōʾ nē-daʿ mah-nā-ʿă-śēh} expresses confessed ignorance. The concluding clause kî ʿalêkā ʿē-nē-nû {כִּ֥י עָלֶ֖יךָ עֵינֵֽינוּ | kî ʿa-lê-kā ʿē-nē-nû} ‘for our eyes are upon You’ conveys dependence. Hebrew’s fronted clauses, participial emphasis, and rhetorical question are preserved in English to maintain the original’s urgency and structure. |