| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayikach {וַיִּקַּ֥ח | wayyēqāḥ} indicating sequential action. The direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} introduces Bil’am {בִּלְעָ֑ם | Bilʿām} as the object of Bālāq’s {בָּלָ֖ק | Bālāq} action. The construct chain rosh ha-peor {רֹ֣אשׁ הַפְּע֔וֹר | rōʾš hap-pəʿōr} denotes “summit of Peor.” The niphal participle ha-nishkaf {הַנִּשְׁקָ֖ף | hannīšqāf} forms a relative clause “overlooking.” The idiom al penei {עַל־פְּנֵ֥י | ʿal pənê} plus ha-yeshimon {הַיְשִׁימֹֽן | ha-yĕšîmôn} literally means “over the face of the wasteland.” English renders the Hebrew VSO as SVO and converts the participle into a relative clause, preserving geographic specificity and narrative flow. |