| 42. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive form vayifnu {וַיִּפְנ֞וּ | wayyip̄nû} ‘and they turned’, marking a narrative pivot into Israel’s withdrawal. The directional phrase el-deRekh ha-midbar {אֶל־דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר | ʾel-dereḵ hammidbār} ‘toward the road to the wilderness’ specifies their route. The definite noun vehamilchamah {וְהַמִּלְחָמָה | wǝ-hammilḥāmāh} ‘the battle’ is personified by the Hifil perfect hidbikathu {הִדְבִּיקָתְהוּ | hidbəqāṯehû} ‘overtook him’, creating vivid pursuit imagery. The relative clause introduced by vaasher {וַאֲשֶׁר | wa-ʾăšer} ‘and those who’ links to the participle mashchitim {מַשְׁחִיתִים | mašḥîṯîm} ‘destroying’, which conveys sustained lethal action by fighters from the cities, with the locative betokho {בְּתוֹכֽוֹ | bᵊṯôḵô} ‘in his midst’ highlighting the internal threat. The coordinated structure of turning, overtaking, and destroying underscores the completeness of Israel’s counterstrike. |