| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for’ introduces a causal clause explaining the speaker’s peril. The verb ap'afuni {אֲפָפֻנִי | ʼăfāp̄unni}, a Qal perfect with third person masculine plural subject and first person singular object, functions as the main verb emphasizing encirclement. The construct phrase mishberei-mavet {מִשְׁבְּרֵי־מָוֶת | mîšbərê-māweṯ} ‘breakers-of-death’ parallels nachalei beliya'al {נַחֲלֵי בְּלִיַּעַל | naḥălê bəlîyaʻal} ‘torrents-of-destruction’, intensifying the poetic imagery through parallelism. The Piel imperfect yeva'atuni {יְבַעֲתֻנִי | yəḇaʻattûnî} ‘terrified-me’ conveys repeated or intensified fear. The English rendition preserves Hebrew word order and parallel structure, maintaining the poem’s momentum. |