| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with dimyono {דִּמְיֹנוֹ | dim-yō-nō} ‘his likeness,’ introducing a striking simile. The prepositional expression kearyeh {כְּאַרְיֵה | kə-ʾar-yēh} ‘like a lion’ precedes the imperfect yikhsof {יִכְסֹף | yik-sōp̄} ‘he longs’ plus the infinitive litrof {לִטְרֹף | lī-ṭrōp̄} ‘to tear,’ conveying forceful desire. The conjunction ve introduces a parallel clause vekephir {וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר | wə-kə-pîr} ‘like a young lion,’ followed by the participle yoshev {יֹשֵׁב | yō-šēḇ} ‘dwelling’ and the locative bemistarim {בְּמִסְתָּרִים | bə-mis-tā-rîm} ‘in hiding places,’ evoking ambush. The balanced parallelism heightens the predatory imagery and the Hebrew word order underscores the intensity of the threat. |