| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew text consists of two parallel nominal clauses—naham kakfir zaʿap̄ melekh and uktal al esev retzono—each lacking a copula and requiring “is” in English. The simile markers are the prepositional phrases kakfir {כַּכְּפִיר | ka-ḵə-p̄īr} ‘like a young lion’ and wə-ṭal {וּכְטַל | wə-ḵə-ṭal} ‘and like dew.’ The term naham {נַ֣הַם | naḥam} ‘roaring’ predicates zaʿap̄ melekh {זַעַף מֶלֶךְ | zaʿap̄ mēleḵ} ‘the king’s wrath,’ while retzono {רְצוֹנֽוֹ | rĕṣōnō} ‘his favor’ completes the second simile with ṭal al esev. The vav-conjunction functions adversatively in English as “but,” emphasizing the contrast. Poetic parallelism underscores the stark juxtaposition between destructive power and nurturing benevolence. In translation, nominal clauses are rendered with an explicit copula and the simile structure is preserved to maintain the original Hebrew balance. |