| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the noun massa {מַשָּׂא | massāʾ} ‘burden’, marking a prophetic pronouncement against miṣrāyim {מִצְרָיִם | miṣrāyim}. The particle hinneh {הִנֵּה | hinneh} ‘behold’ signals imminent divine intervention. The participle rōkhev {רֹכֵב | rōkhev} ‘riding’ and prepositional phrase ʿal-ʿāv qal {עַל־עָב קַל | ʿal-ʿāv qal} ‘on a swift cloud’ depict dynamic movement. The vav consecutive ûvā {וּבָא | ūvā} ‘and he comes’ introduces completed action toward Egypt. The imperfect wənā‘û {וְנָע֞וּ | wənā‘û} ‘they tremble’ expresses the reaction of the idolatrous ’elîlē {אֱלִילֵי | ’elîlē}. The phrase mippānāw {מִפָּנָיו | mippānāw} ‘from before him’ marks divine presence as cause. Finally, the construct ûl-bā́v miṣrāyim {וּלְבַב מִצְרַיִם | ūl-bā́v miṣrāyim} ‘and the heart of Egypt’ with yimmās {יִמַּס | yimmās} ‘will melt’ in bəkirbô {בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ | bəkirbô} ‘in its midst’ forms a vivid parallelism, intensifying comprehensive judgment. |