| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōʾmer} ‘and he said,’ a classic vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect formula introducing direct speech. The subject moav {מוֹאָב | Mōʾāḇ} is directed to el-ziqnei midyan {אֶל־זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן | ʾel-ziqnê Midyān} ‘the elders of Midian,’ establishing the audience. Attah {עַתָּה | ʿattāh} ‘now’ adds immediacy, leading into yelachachu {יְלַחֲכ֤וּ | yəlăḥəkū} ‘they will lick up’ as the main verb with hakkahal {הַקָּהָל | hakkāhāl} ‘the assembly’ as subject. The construct et-kol-sevivoteinu {אֶת־כָּל־סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ | ʾet-kol-səvîḇōṯê-nû} serves as the direct object phrase ‘all our surroundings.’ The simile is introduced by kilchok {כִּלְחֹךְ | kilḥōḵ} ‘as licking,’ comparing the futurositic action to the habitual grazing of the ox (hashor {הַשּׁוֹר | haššôr}). The double et and nominal phrase yerek hasadeh {יֶ֣רֶק הַשָּׂדֶה | yērāq hassādeh} concretize the image of green pasture. The final clause u-valak ben-tzippor melek lemoav {וּבָלָק בֶּן־צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב | ū-wālaq ben-ṣip̄pōr meleḵ lə-Mōʾāḇ} shifts to a historical note, framed by the temporal phrase baet hahi {בָּעֵת הַהִוא | bā-ʿêṯ hahîʾ} ‘at that time.’ English syntax preserves the Hebrew sequence of warning, illustrative simile, and political context. |