| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunctive-direct-object marker ve’et {וְאֵת | wə-ʾēt}, introducing the object. It then presents the Kethiv מברחו with Qere מִבְרָחָיו in the construct kol-mivrachav {כָּל־מִבְרָחָיו | kol-miv-rā-ḥāw}, “all his fugitives,” linked genitively to be-kol-agafav {בְּכָל־אֲגַפָּיו | bə-kol-ʾa-ḡāpāw}, “in all his bands,” forming an inclusio of those aligned with the subject. The prepositional phrase ba-kherev {בַּחֶרֶב | ba-ḥe-rev} “by the sword” marks the means of defeat, followed by the Qal imperfect yippolu {יִּפֹּלוּ | yippōlû} “they shall fall,” indicating certain downfall. The sequence shifts to the survivors, ve-ha-nish’arim {וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים | wə-ha-nish-ʾā-rîm}, a Nifal participle “the ones remaining,” coordinated with the Nifal imperfect yiparesu {יִּפָּרֵשׂוּ | yippārešû}, “will be scattered,” portraying total dispersion. The final clause uses the perfect wî-yada‘tem {וִידַעְתֶּם | wî-ḏaʿ-tem} “and you will know,” leading into the declaration ʾani Yahweh {אֲנִי יְהוָה | ʾănî Yə-hō-wāh}, “I, the LORD,” and the Piel perfect dibbartî {דִּבַּרְתִּי | dîb-bār-tî}, “I have spoken,” as an emphatic oath. The paratactic stacking of prepositional phrases and imperfect verbs underscores the inevitability of judgment and the authority of the divine decree. |