| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The phrase al-ken {עַל־כֵּן | ʿal-kên} ‘therefore’ functions as a causal discourse marker introducing a report. The verb yē-’āmar {יֵאָמַר | yē-’āmar} ‘it is said’ in the Niphal imperfect frames the following lines as an established record. The nominal phrase bĕ-sēp̄er milḥammôṯ Yəhōwāh {בְּסֵפֶר מִלְחֲמוֹת יְהוָה | bĕ-sēp̄er milḥammôṯ Yəhōwāh} ‘in the Book of the Wars of the LORD’ serves as a formal title for a noncanonical source. The markers ’et wāhēḇ {אֶת־וָהֵב | ’et wāhēḇ} and wə-’et hanneḥālîm {וְאֶת־הַנְּחָלִים | wə-’et hanneḥālîm} identify the battle sites as direct objects. The listing of Waheb, Suphah, and Arnon follows a fragmentary, poetic catalogue typical of Hebrew parallelism, highlighting each location of divine action. |