| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with nashafta {נָשַׁ֥פְתָּ | nā-šap̄-tā} ‘you blew’ (Qal perfect), establishing a divine agent. The instrumental phrase beruachakha {בְרוּחֲךָ֖ | bə-rû-ă-ḥă-kha} ‘with your wind/spirit’ specifies means. Next, kissamo {כִּסָּמוֹ | kî-sā-mō} ‘it covered them’ uses a pronominal suffix to present the sea as agent, followed by the coordinated perfect tsallalu {צָֽלֲלוּ֙ | tsă-lă-lû} ‘they sank’ with the comparative kaoferet {כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת | ka-ʿô-phe-ret} ‘like lead’ intensifying the sudden descent. The locative bemayim {בְּמַ֖יִם | bə-mă-yı̂m} ‘in waters’, modified by addirim {אַדִּירִֽים | ʾă-dı̆r-rı̂ym} ‘mighty’, frames the setting. The sequence of perfect verbs combined with instrumentality, agency reversal, and comparative imagery creates a rapid, climactic portrayal of divine judgment. |