| 41. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative employs a sequence of vav-consecutive verbs, beginning with ve’ish yiśraʼēl hāphaḵ {וְאִ֤ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הָפַ֔ךְ | və-ʾîš yiśrāʼēl hāphaḵ} ‘and the men of Israel turned’, signaling a sudden reversal. This is followed by vayyi-bāhēl ʾîš binyāmin {וַיִבָּהֵ֖ל אִ֣ישׁ בִּנְיָמִ֑ן | vayyi-bāhēl ʾîš binyāmin} ‘and the men of Benjamin were terrified’, where the Nifal stem conveys that they were overcome by fear. The perfect verb rāʼāh {רָאָ֔ה | rāʼāh} ‘he saw’ introduces their realization, and the clause nāgaʿah ʿālāv hārāʿāh {נָגְעָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו הָרָעָֽה | nāgaʿah ʿālāv hārāʿāh} ‘that the disaster had come upon him’ employs a feminine verb matching the feminine noun to underscore the immediacy and personal impact of the calamity. The focus shifts from Israel’s movement to Benjamin’s emotional collapse and awareness, heightening dramatic tension in the narrative. |