| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for’, introducing a causal clause. The Hifil perfect verb hiqqîpāh {הִקִּיפָה | hiqqîpāh} ‘has surrounded’ conveys active encirclement of the noun haze‘āqâ {הַזְּעָקָה | haze‘āqâ} ‘the cry’. The particle ’et {אֶת | ’et} marks the direct object gəvûl {גְּב֣וּל | gəvûl} ‘border’ of Moab. The preposition ’ad {עַד | ’ad} ‘as far as’ designates the extent to Eglaim {אֶגְלַ֙יִם֙ | eglayîm} ‘Eglaim’, followed by the suffixed noun yillattāh {יִלְלָתָ֔הּ | yillattāh} ‘its wailing’. The coordinating ūbə’ēr {וּבְאֵ֥ר | ūbə’ēr} ‘and at the well’ shifts the location to Elim. The repeated yillattāh forms a parallelism that underscores the pervasive nature of the lament. The chiasmic structure highlights the geographical reach and the unceasing sorrow. |