| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunctive particle laken {לָכֵן | lā-ḵên} ‘therefore,’ indicating a logical conclusion. The Piel imperfect yeyelil {יְיֵלִּיל | yə-yê-lîl} ‘will wail’ applies first to the proper noun moav {מוֹאָב | mō-’āḇ} and then to the pronominal suffix in kullo {כֻּלֹּה | kūl-lō}, forming a chiastic parallelism that intensifies communal lament. The construct laashishei kirhareshet {לַאֲשִׁишֵׁי קִיר־חֲרֶשֶׂת | la-ʾă-šî-šê qîr-ḥā-re-set} ‘for the raisin-cakes of Kir-Hareseth’ focuses mourning on a local cultic product. The shift to second person plural in tehegu {תֶּהְגּוּ | tĕh-gû} ‘you will groan’ directly engages the audience. The adversative particle akh {אַךְ | ʾăkh} ‘surely’ together with the participle nekaim {נְכָאִים | nə-ḵā-’îm} ‘stricken’ delivers an emphatic assertion of utter devastation. English preserves the Hebrew repetition, construct relationships, and parallel syntax to convey collective mourning. |