| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses a series of vav-consecutives—vatiftach {וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח | vaṯṭippaḥ} “and it opened” followed by vativla {וַתִּבְלַ֥ע | vaṯṭiblaʿ} “and it swallowed”—to convey rapid, linked actions. Each direct object is introduced by the marker et (etpiha {אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ | ʾet-pîhā}, veetbateihem {וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶם | wə-ʾet-battēhēm}, veet {וְאֵ֤ת | wə-ʾēt}, veet2 {וְאֵ֖ת | wə-ʾēt}) and enumerates items swallowed: its mouth, them, their houses, all the people who were with Korah, and all the possessions. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾăšer} links “all the people” to Korah {קֹרַח | qorāḥ}, emphasizing the identity of those judged. The accumulation of objects with each vav heightens the totality of the judgment invoked by the earth’s personification. |