| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative formula vayhi {וַיְהִ֗י | wayhî} ‘and it came to pass’, using the vav-consecutive prefixed to a Qal imperfect to advance the chronicle. It then presents a temporal circumstantial clause via the Piel infinitive construct beshallakh {בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח | bəšallaḥ} ‘in sending’, with paroh {פַּרְעֹה֮ | parʿōh} as the actor and the particle et haam {אֶת־הָעָם֒ | ʾet hāʿām} marking the people as object. The negated Qal perfect nakham {נָחָ֣ם | nāḥām} ‘he relented’ signals divine withholding of a chosen path. A noun construct chain derekh {דֶּ֚רֶךְ | de-reḵ} + erets {אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾe-reṣ} + pelishtim {פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | pelištîm} ‘way of the land of the Philistines’ defines the route, introduced by ki {כִּ֥י | kî} ‘for’ as motive. The verbless clause karov hu {קָרֹב ה֑וּא | qārôb hûʾ} ‘it was near’ emphasizes proximity. The conjunction ki {כִּ֣י | kî} precedes the speech marker amar {אָמַר | ʾāmar}, leading into a purpose clause with pen {פֶּן־ | pen} ‘lest’, governing the Nifal imperfect yinnakhem {יִנָּחֵ֥ם | yinnāḥēm} ‘they may relent’, and the infinitive biraotam {בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם | birʾōṯām} ‘upon seeing them’ introduces the circumstance milchamah {מִלְחָמָ֖ה | milḥāmâ} ‘war’. The narrative closes with the vav-consecutive Qal perfect veshevu {וְשָׁ֥בוּ | wə-šāḇû} ‘and they returned’ plus the directional suffix mitsraymah {מִצְרָֽיְמָה | miṣraymah} ‘to Egypt’, illustrating divine strategic foresight. |