| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative relies on the vav-consecutive for sequential past: vatehi {וַתְּהִי | wə·ṯə·hi} ‘and it was’ and va-yarev {וַיַּרֶב | wa·yya·reḇ} ‘and it multiplied.’ Hebrew uses two Niphal participles—nafetzet {נָפְצֵית | nāp·ṣê·ṯ} ‘scattered’ and nafotzet {נָפֹצֶת | nāp·ṣō·ṯ} ‘dispersed’—to intensify the battle’s breakdown. The construct phrase al penei kol ha-aretz {עַל־פְּנֵי־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ | ʿal-pə·nê hā·ʾā·reṣ} ‘upon the face of all the land’ conveys total extension. In the comparative clause me-asher akhlah ha-cherev {מֵאֲשֶׁר אָכְלָה הַחֶרֶב | mē·’a·šer ’ā·ḵläh hā·ḥe·reḇ} ‘more than the sword consumed,’ the Qal perfect highlights completed action, preserving the contrast. The temporal marker ba-yom ha-hu {בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא | ba·yô·m ha·hû’} ‘on that day’ underscores immediacy. |