| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vehu {וְה֣וּא | wə-hûʾ} ‘and he’, continuing the narrative flow. Gam-ben-chayil {גַם־בֶּן־חַיִל | gam-ben-ḥayil} ‘also a son of strength’ emphasizes exceptional valor. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾă-šer} introduces the simile libbô {לִבּוֹ | libbô} ‘his heart’ compared to kelev hā-ʾaryēh {כְּלֵ֥ב הָאַרְיֵ֖ה | kelev hā-ʾaryēh} ‘heart of a lion’. The paired verbs himmēs {הִמֵּ֣ס | himmēs} ‘he causes to melt’ and yimmas {יִמָּ֑ס | yimmas} ‘he will melt’ in Hiphil and Nifal imperfects form an idiomatic intensification. The conjunction kî {כִּֽי | kî} ‘for’ leads the causal clause yōdēaʿ kol-yisrāʾēl {יֹדֵעַ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yōdēaʿ kol-yisrāʾēl} ‘all Israel knows’ that avikha {אָבִיךָ | ʾă-bî-khā} ‘your father’ is kî-gibbor {כִּי־גִבּ֣וֹר | kî-gibbor} ‘mighty’. Finally, ū-bənē-ḥayil ʾă-šer ʾitô {וּבְנֵי־חַיִל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ | ū-bənē-ḥayil ʾă-šer ʾitô} ‘and the valiant sons who are with him’ underscores the collective reputation. |