| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ve’atta {וְעַתָּה֙ | wə-‘ă-ṭṭāh} marking immediate temporal context. The hithpael imperative hit’arev {הִתְעָ֣רֶב | hit-‘ā-rēḇ} expresses a reciprocal challenge. The direct-object marker et {אֶת־ | ’et} precedes adoni {אֲדֹנִי | ’ă-dō-nî} and melech {מֶלֶךְ | mē-leḵ}, specifying the object of the challenge. The vav-consecutive verb ve’ettenah {וְאֶתְּנָה | wə-’et-tə-nāh} introduces the promise of giving. The dual numeral alpayim {אַלְפַּיִם | ’al-pā-yim} quantifies the horses. The conditional im {אִם־ | ’im} + qal imperfect tukhal {תּוּכַל | tû-kal} and infinitive construct latet {לָתֵת | lā-têṯ} frames the protasis-apodosis with rokhvim {רֹכְבִים | rō-ḵə-ḇîm} governed by aleihem {עֲלֵיהֶֽם | ʿă-lê-hēm}, maintaining rhetorical force in English translation. |