| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive Nif‘al imperfect wayyinnaḡēp̄ {וַיִּנָּגֵ֜ף | wayyinnaḡēp̄} ‘and was struck down,’ followed by the locative adverb šām {שָּׁם | šām}, establishing setting. The nominal clause ʿam yisraʼēl {עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʿam yisraʼēl} ‘people Israel’ functions as subject, with the prepositional phrase liṿnê ʿăḇdē Dāwîḏ {לִפְנֵ֛י עַבְדֵי דָּוִ֖ד | liṿnê ʿăḇdē Dāwîḏ} marking the opposing force. A second vav-consecutive Qal imperfect wayyᵊhîyyāh {וַתְּהִ֣י | wayyᵊhîyyāh} ‘and there was’ introduces the resultant state, with hammaḡêp̄āh ḡᵊdōlāh {הַמַּגֵּפָ֣ה גְּדֹלָה | hammaḡêp̄āh ḡᵊdōlāh} forming an attributive phrase ‘the great slaughter.’ The temporal phrase bayyôm hahʾû {בַּיּ֖וֹם הַהֽוּא | bayyôm hahʾû} ‘on that day’ frames the narrative, and the cardinal numerals ʿeśrîm ʾālep̄ {עֶשְׂרִים אָֽלֶף | ʿeśrîm ʾālep̄} follow Hebrew numeric syntax (unit before scale). In translation, the vav-consecutive chain is rendered into standard English narrative sequence, and the temporal clause is repositioned for clarity. |