| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses two sequential vav-consecutive imperfect verbs vayyagar {וַיָּ֨גָר | wayyāḡār} “and he feared” and vayyakatz {וַיָּ֣קָץ | wayyāqaṣ} “and he loathed,” both with moav {מוֹאָב | mōʾāv} as subject. Each clause begins with mippnei {מִפְּנֵ֥י | mipp̄nê} governing haam {הָעָם | hāʿām} “the people” in the first and bene yisrael {בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | bə-nē yiśrāʾēl} “the sons of Israel” in the second. The intensifier meod {מְאֹ֖ד | məʾōḏ} heightens initial fear, while the compound adjective-pronoun ravhu {רַב־ה֑וּא | rāḇ-hūʾ} conveys numeric magnitude. The parallel prepositional phrases shift from a general threat to a specific one, emphasizing Moab’s mounting dread toward Israel. |