| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative unfolds with a sequence of vav consecutive verbs (vayikhar-af {וַיִּֽחַר־אַף | va-yik-ḥār-ʾap̄}, vayispoq {וַיִּסְפֹּק | va-yis-pōq}, vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | va-yō-mer}) driving the action forward. The idiom vayikhar-af ‘was kindled anger’ depicts intense wrath through a thermal metaphor. The phrase et-kappav {אֶת־כַּפָּ֑יו | ʾet-kappāyw} ‘his palms’ with the verb vayispoq conveys a culturally specific gesture of frustration. The use of the infinitive construct laqov {לָקֹ֤ב | lā-qōv} ‘to curse’ indicates purpose, subsequently overturned by berakhta {בֵּרַכְתָּ | bē-raḵ-tā} plus the infinitive absolute barekh {בָרֵ֔ךְ | bā-rēḵ} for emphatic repetition. The conjunction ve-hineh {וְהִנֵּה֙ | wə-hinnēh} introduces a contrast highlighting the reversal from curse to blessing. |