| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative employs two sequential wayyiqtol verbs. vayyavo {וַיָּבֹא | wayyāḇōʾ} ‘and he came’ introduces the subject ʿămālēq, and vayyillāḥem {וַיִּלָּחֶם | wayyillāḥem} ‘and he fought’ continues the action. The Niphal stem in vayyillāḥem signals reflexive battle engagement. The prepositional construction ʿim yisrael {עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʿim yiśrāʾēl} denotes opposition rather than accompaniment. The locative birpîḏîm {בִּרְפִידִם | birpîḏîm} situates the conflict at Rephidim on the wilderness journey. English renders the wayyiqtol sequence as simple past verbs to preserve narrative continuity. |