| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive wayyiqtol verb vatetse {וַתֵּצֵ֨א | va-tē-tzē} ‘and went out’, marking sequential action as esh {אֵ֜שׁ | ēsh} ‘fire’ emerges. The construct words mimmatteh {מִמַּטֵּ֤ה | mimmat-tē} and badeyha {בַדֶּ֙יהָ֙ | ba-ḏē-hā} form the phrase “rod among her branches,” symbolizing royal lineage. The perfect akhalah {אָכָ֔לָה | ’ā-kha-lā(h)} ‘it devoured’ takes piryah {פִּרְיָ֣הּ | pîr-yā(h)} ‘her fruit’ as object. The negative clause velo hayah bah {וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה בָ֛הּ | və-lō hā-yā(h) bā(h)} ‘and there was not in her’ emphasizes the absence of authority. The infinitive limshol {לִמְשׁ֑וֹל | lim-šōl} ‘to rule’ qualifies shevet {שֵׁ֣בֶט | še-ḇeṭ} ‘scepter’. The paired statements kinah hi {קִ֥ינָה הִ֖יא | qîn-ā(h) hî(ʾ)} ‘this is a lamentation’ and vattehi lekinah {וַתְּהִ֥י לְקִינָֽה | va-tə-hî lə-qîn-ā(h)} ‘and it became a lamentation’ reinforce the dirge form. |