| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The temporal adverb az {אָז | ʾāz} anchors the narrative in time. The Hiphil imperfect yakkeh {יַכֶּה | yak-keh} marks Menaḥem’s {מְנַחֵם | me-na-ḥem} aggressive action, with the direct object marker et {אֶת | ʾet} introducing Tipśaḥ {תִּפְסַח | tip-săḥ}. The conjunctions ve-et {וְאֶת | wə-ʾet} coordinate the targets kol ʾăšer bah {כָּל אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ | kol ʾă-šer baḥ} ‘all who were in it’ and gəvulehā {גְּבוּלֶיהָ | gə-vu-le-hā} ‘its borders.’ The prepositional mi-Tirṣāh {מִתִּרְצָה | miṯ-tir-ṣāh} situates the point of origin. The causal kî {כִּי | kî} introduces the refusal clause with lōʾ pāṭaḥ {לֹא פָתַח | lōʾ pā-ṭaḥ} ‘did not open.’ The narrative resumes with wayyak {וַיַּךְ | wă-yyak}, a Vav-consecutive Qal imperfect of nakah, reinforcing relentless violence, culminating in biqqēaʿ {בִּקֵּעַ | biqqē-ʿa}, the Piel perfect of cracking open. The sequential vav-consecutive structure preserves the Hebraic sense of unfolding events and intensifies the portrayal of brutality. |