| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative unfolds in a wayyiqtol sequence of vav-consecutive verbs. The first verb vayirdfu {וַיִּרְדְּפוּ | va-yir-də-fū} ‘and they pursued’ is immediately followed by vayabou {וַיָּבֹאוּ | va-yā-bō-’ū} ‘and they came after,’ creating rapid sequential momentum. The proper noun mitsrayim {מִצְרַיִם | miṣ-ray-yim} functions as both the national identity and collective military force. A construct chain of kol {כֹּל | kôl} + sus {סוּס | sûs} + paroh {פַּרְעֹה | pa-r‘ō} ‘all the horses of Pharaoh’ employs a singular noun in construct for collective emphasis, followed by the coordinated list rikhbo {רִכְבּוֹ | rikh-bō} ‘his chariotry’ and ufarashav {וּפָרָשָׁיו | u-fa-rā-shāv} ‘and his horsemen.’ The locative phrase eltokh {אֶל־תּוֹךְ | ’el-tōḵ} ‘into the midst’ plus the definite hayyam {הַיָּם | hay-yām} ‘the sea’ situates the climax. Maintaining this cumulative structure in translation preserves the original’s dramatic intensity. |