| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The interrogative particle ha-al {הַעַל | ha-al} ‘was it to’ introduces a rhetorical challenge. The vav consecutive in vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wa-yō-mer} ‘and he said’ anchors the narrative in direct speech. The infinitive constructs leekhol {לֶאֱכֹל | lĕ’ĕ-kōl} ‘to eat’ and lishtot {לִשְׁתּוֹת | liš-tōṯ} ‘to drink’ are linked by velishtot to underscore parallel actions under siege. The direct object is marked by et-haddevarim {אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים | ’et-had-dĕ-bā-rîm} ‘these words’, emphasizing Rabshakeh’s message. The participle hayoshvim {הַיֹּשְׁבִים | ha-yō-šḇîm} ‘the ones sitting’ modifies hanashim, focusing on the besieged. The idiom mei ragleihem {מֵי רַגְלֵיהֶם | mêy rağ-lê-hêm} ‘waters of their feet’ is rendered literally as urine to convey the ancient euphemism. |