| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the temporal clause uve’et {וּבְעֵת֩ | ū-və-ʿêṯ} ‘and at the time’ followed by the Hiphil perfect hecheilu {הֵחֵ֨לּוּ | hē-ḥê-lû} ‘they began,’ establishing a temporal framework. Two coordinated manner phrases, berinnah {בְרִנָּ֜ה | bə-rin-nāh} ‘joyful shouting’ and utehillah {וּתְהִלָּ֗ה | ū-tə-ḥil-lāh} ‘and praise,’ function as worship expressions. The Qal perfect natan {נָתַ֣ן | nā-ṯan} ‘he set’ introduces Yahweh {יְהוָ֣ה | Yə-hō-wāh} as the divine strategist. The object me’arvim {מְאָֽרְבִים | mə-ʾār-vîm} ‘ambushers’ is governed by the prepositional phrase al-benei {עַל־בְּנֵ֨י | ʿal-bə-nê} ‘against the sons of,’ listing Ammon, Moab, and ve-har-seir {וְהַר־שֵׂעִ֛יר | wə-har-sê-ʿîr} ‘and Mount Seir.’ The participial clause ha-ba’im {הַבָּאִ֥ים | hab-bā-’îm} ‘the ones coming’ modifies the prepositional target li-Yehudah {לִֽיהוּדָ֖ה | lī-hū-ḏā} ‘to Judah.’ The vav-consecutive Nifal va-yinnagefu {וַיִּנָּגֵֽפוּ | way-yinnāgēphū} ‘and they were struck down’ conveys the result of divine action, emphasizing the causal link between worship and victory. |