| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the adverb yachad {יַ֭חַד | yaḥad} ‘together’, establishing collective destiny. The prepositional phrase al-afar {עַל־עָפָ֣ר | ʿal-ʾāfar} ‘upon dust’ sets the scene’s location. The pair of imperfect verbs yishkavu {יִשְׁכָּבוּ | yiškāḇû} ‘lie down’ and tekasseh {תְּכַסֶּ֥ה | təkasseh} ‘covers’ creates parallelism. The coordinating vav before rimmah {וְ֝רִמָּה | wərimmāh} ‘worm’ shifts the subject, forming a chiasm that underscores life giving way to decay. The suffixed pronoun in aleihem {עֲלֵיהֶֽם | ʿăleyhem} ‘over them’ closes the thought, emphasizing the inevitability of death. |