| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses a sequence of vav-consecutive verbs—vatitslach {וַתִּצְלַ֨ח | vatitṣlāḥ} “and she prospered,” vayered {וַיֵּ֨רֶד | wayyēreḏ} “and he went down,” vayakh {וַיַּ֥ךְ | wayyakēḵ} “and he struck,” vayikkach {וַיִּקַּח֙ | wayyiqqaḥ} “and he took,” vayitten {וַיִּתֵּן֙ | wayyiṯtēn} “and he gave,” vayikhar {וַיִּחַר | wayyiḥar} “and he was enraged,” vaya‘al {וַיַּ֖עַל | wayya‘al} “and he went up”—emphasizing swift progression under divine impulse. The compound ruach Yahweh {ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה | rūaḥ Yəhōwāh} indicates divine agency. The clauses with vayikkach and et + chalitzotam {אֶת־חֲלִיצוֹתָ֔ם} illustrate the taking of garments as spoil; some versions render this as “took their spoil” to underscore plunder context, and this translation follows that practice. The participle maggidei {לְמַגִּידֵ֖י | ləmag·gidē} governs hachidah {הַחִידָ֑ה | haḥîḏāh} in a construct chain, highlighting the function of riddle interpreters. The contrast of “went down” and “went up” frames a movement from battle scene back to home, mirroring emotional escalation. |