| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ki {כִּי | kî} ‘because’, marking a causal clause. The iterative prepositional phrase mippənê {מִפְּנֵי | mippənê} ‘from before’ appears three times to emphasize the multiple threats. A shift from the plural noun ḥărāḇōṯ {חֲרָבוֹת | ḥărāḇōṯ} ‘swords’ to singular noun–participle pairs ḥereḇ neṭûšā {חֶרֶב נְטוּשָׁה | ḥereḇ neṭûšā} ‘drawn sword’ and qéšeṯ derûḵā {קֶשֶׁת דְּרוּכָה | qéšeṯ derûḵā} ‘strung bow’ creates a crescendo of concrete weapon images. The final abstract phrase kōweḏ milḥāmā {כֹּבֶד מִלְחָמָה | kōweḏ milḥāmā} ‘heaviness of war’ intensifies the sense of overwhelming conflict. The translation preserves this rhetorical pattern by repeating “from before” and progressing from tangible arms to the intangible burden of battle, mirroring the Hebrew’s poetic escalation. |