| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse comprises two parallel clauses joined by the conjunction ve {וְ} creating a bicola structure emphasizing complete loss of illumination. In the first clause or {אוֹר | ʾôr} ‘light’ functions as the subject with khashakh {חָשַׁךְ | ḥā-ša-ḵ} ‘grew dark’ in the perfect to convey a settled state. The prepositional phrase be-oholo {בְּאָהֳלוֹ | bə-ʾā-hŏ-lô} situates the action within the sufferer’s tent. The second clause mirrors this with ner {נֵר | nēr} ‘lamp’ and yidakh {יִדְעָךְ | yi-ḏa-ḵ} ‘will be extinguished’ in the imperfect, projecting the outcome ahead. The phrase alav {עָלָיו | ʿā-lāy-w} ‘upon him’ intensifies the personal impact. This parallelism and the shift from perfect to imperfect underscore the irrevocable nature of his ruin. |