| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with two verbs in the vav-consecutive {וַ | wā} ’sequential narrative marker’ construction, advancing the oracle’s flow. The lament is introduced by the interjection oy, and the interrogative pronoun mi combined with the Qal imperfect yikhyeh frames a rhetorical question about human survival. The prepositional phrase min + misummo {מִשֻּׂמ֥וֹ | mîsûmmō} ’from his appointing’ (a Pual infinitive construct) identifies the divine source of the action. Closing with the bare divine title el {אֵֽל | ʾēl} ’God’ focuses attention on the sovereign agent. This progression—from narrative momentum through lament to rhetorical questioning—underscores the certainty of divine judgment. |