| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the noun machashavot {מַ֭חֲשָׁבוֹת | maḥăššāḇōṯ} ‘plans’ functioning as the subject, followed by the instrumental phrase be’etzah {בְּעֵצָה | bə-ʿē-ṣāh} ‘by counsel’, marking the means whereby those plans tikkon {תִכּ֑וֹן | ṯikkōn} ‘are established’, a niphal imperfect conveying a stative passive. The second clause mirrors this with the conjunctive-prepositional phrase uvetachbulot {וּ֝בְתַחְבֻּל֗וֹת | ūbə-taḥbû-lōṯ} ‘and by strategies’, followed by the qal imperative aseh {עֲשֵׂ֣ה | ʿăśēh} ‘make’ governing the noun milchamah {מִלְחָמָֽה | milḥāmāh} ‘war’. This parallelism of passive establishment and active command underscores the balanced relationship between deliberation and execution. In rendering this flow, the English translation preserves the instrumental phrases and the imperative mood to reflect the Hebrew’s emphasis and rhythm. |