| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction vav consecutive attaching to the Hiphil wayyiqtol verb scatter va’afitzem {וַאֲפִיצֵם | wa-ʾă-p̄î-ṣēm}, foregrounding divine agency and narrative sequence. The comparative particle kə {כְּ | kə} introduces the simile with the noun kash {קַשׁ | kāš} in construct linked by maqqef to the participle ʿover {עוֹבֵר | ʿō-ḇêr}, forming kə-kāš-ʿōvēr ‘like stubble passing.’ The prepositional phrase lə-rûaḥ {לְרוּחַ | lə-rû-aḥ} marks direction toward the wind, while midbar {מִדְּבָּר | mid-bar} specifies the barren wilderness setting. The verb-first order, followed by the simile and prepositional phrase, emphasizes total dispersion and desolate context. English rendering adjusts word order for clarity while preserving the vivid simile and sequential action. |