| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative progression is marked by the vav-consecutive qal imperfect vayet {וַיֵּ֨ט | way·yēṭ} ‘and he stretched’, linking seamlessly to the prior miracle account. The construction et-yado {אֶת־יָדוֹ | ʾet-yā·dô} with al-ha-yam {עַל־הַיָּם | ʿal-hă·yām} precisely situates the action. The Hifil imperfect vayolekh {וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ | way·yō·leḵ} takes Yahweh {יְהוָ֣ה | Yəhō·wāh} as subject to express divine causation. Instrumentality and direction are conveyed through be-ruach qadim azzah {בְּר֨וּחַ קָדִ֤ים עַזָּה֙ | bə-rû·aḥ qā·ḏîm ʿa·zāh}, where noun-adjective order emphasizes the wind’s source and strength. The temporal adverbial kol-hallailah {כָּל־הַלַּ֔יְלָה | kāl-hal-lay·lāh} denotes uninterrupted duration. The Qal lamed-infinitive vayāsem le-charāvāh {וַיָּ֥שֶׂם לֶחָרָבָ֑ה | way·yā·sem lă-ḥā-rā·wāh} specifies resultant transformation, and the Nifal imperfect vayibbaqu hamayim {וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ הַמָּֽיִם | way·yib-bā·q‘û ham-mā·yim} delivers the climactic parting of the waters. This preserves key Hebrew word order to highlight divine agency and the miraculous nature of the event. |