| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘though’ combined with the conditional particle im {אִם | ʾim} ‘if’ and the Qal imperfect yihyeh {יִהְיֶה | yihyeh} ‘it will be’, forming a concessive clause. The Piel infinitive construct le-vaʿer {לְבָעֵר | lə-vāʿēr} ‘to burn up’ governs the proper noun kayin {קָיִן | qāyīn} ‘Kenite’, establishing a hypothetical judgment. The interrogative phrase ad-mah {עַד־מָה | ʿăḏ-māh} ‘until how long’ introduces a rhetorical temporal question leading to the Qal imperfect tishbekha {תִּשְׁבֶּֽךָּ | tišbēḵā} ‘carries you away captive’, where Asshur {אַשּׁוּר | ʾăš-šūr} ‘Assyria’ serves as the implied agent. The progression from vivid burning imagery to forced exile underscores the inevitability of the predicted deportation and heightens dramatic tension within Balaam’s prophecy. |