| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative employs the vav consecutive with va’amasa {וַעֲמָשָׂ֛א | vaʿă-mă-sāʾ} ‘and Amasa’ to introduce the scene, followed by the Hitpael participle mitgolel {מִתְגֹּלֵ֥ל | mit-gō-lēl} ‘wallowing’ to convey ongoing, reflexive action. The locatives ba-dam {בַּדָּ֖ם | ba-dam} ‘in the blood’ and be-tokh ham-mesilah {בְּתוֹךְ הַמְּסִלָּה | bə-tōkh ham-mĕ-sil-lāh} ‘in the middle of the roadway’ establish a public setting. The pivotal va-yar ha-ish {וַיַּרְא הָאִישׁ | vay-yar ha-ʾîš} ‘and the man saw’ introduces the response clause ki-amad kol-ha-am {כִּי־עָמַד כָּל־הָעָם | kî-ʿā-mad kol-hā-ʿăm} ‘that all the people stood still.’ The consecutive Hiphil verbs vayyashev {וַיַּסֵּב | vay-ya-sēv} and vayishlekh {וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ | vay-yaš-lēḵ} depict deliberate removal actions, leading into the relative clause ka-asher ra’ah kol-ha-ba alav ve-amad {כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה כָּל־הַבָּא עָלָיו וְעָמָד | ka-ʾă-šer rā-ʾāh kol-hab-bāʾ ʿā-lāyw wə-ʿā-mad} which underscores the repeated communal reaction. The translation maintains the narrative sequence and preserves the reflexive nuance of mitgolel to reflect the original’s dramatic pacing and theological emphasis on vulnerability. |