| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vatiz‘aq {וַתִּזְעַ֤ק | və-ti-zə-‘aq} ‘and she cried out’, a vav-consecutive verb that sets a past narrative and personifies the cities as lamenters. The phrase ad-yaḥaṣ {עַד־יַהַץ | ʿad-ya-ḥaṣ} ‘as far as Jahaz’ marks the geographic reach of the lament. The verb nishma {נִשְׁמַ֣ע | niš-ma‘} ‘was heard’ shifts attention to the reception of the outcry. The conjunction al-kên {עַל־כֵּ֗ן | ʿal-kên} ‘therefore’ introduces a result clause in which chalutsey moav {חֲלֻצֵי־מוֹאָב | ḥā-lut-sēy mō-’āḇ} ‘armed men of Moab’ act by yarieu {יָרִ֔יעוּ | yā-rî-‘ū} ‘they cry out’. Finally, the construction nafsho yara lo {נַפְשׁ֖וֹ יָ֥רְעָה לּֽוֹ | nap-shō yā-rə-‘āh lō} ‘his soul trembled for him’ conveys personal anguish through the noun ‘soul’ plus a verb of trembling and a dative suffix. This progression from communal lament to heard lament to personal trembling underscores the intensifying distress of Moab. |