| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav consecutive narrative structure using unetanah {וּנְתָנָ֛הּ | ū-nə-ṭā-nāh} ‘and He gives it,’ signaling sequential divine action. The compound designation Yahweh Eloheikha {יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | Yə-hō-wāh ʾĕ-lō-hê-khā} functions as the agent of military deliverance. The prepositional phrase beyadekha {בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ | bə-yā-dé-khā} ‘into your hand’ uses the motif of the hand as a symbol of power and possession. The verb vehikita {וְהִכִּיתָ֥ | wə-hik-ki-tā} ‘and you shall strike’ in the Hifil perfect expresses causative military action. The direct object marker et-kol {אֶת־כָּל־ | ʾet-kol} governs zekhura {זְכוּרָ֖הּ | ze-khu-rāh} ‘all its males,’ a collective expression. The idiomatic formula lefi-charev {לְפִי־חָֽרֶב | lə-p̄î-ḥā-reḇ} ‘by the edge of the sword’ denotes execution by lethal force. The translation shifts from VSO to SVO order to clarify human agency while preserving the legal and theological force of the command. |