| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The passage opens with the vav-consecutive Niphal verbs vayera’u {וַיְּרָאוּ | way-yə-rā-ʾû} ‘and they were seen’ and vayigalu {וַיִּגָלוּ | way-yi-ga-lû} ‘and were uncovered,’ establishing a sequential theophanic revelation. The construct phrases afikei mayim {אֲפִיקֵי מַיִם | ʾă-fi-qê ma-yim} ‘channels of waters’ and mosdot tevel {מוֹסְדוֹת תֵּבֵל | mōs-də-ṓṯ tē-ḇēl} ‘foundations of the world’ foreground hidden cosmic structures. The prepositional clause miga'aratkha {מִגַּעֲרָתְךָ | mi-ga-ʿa-raṯ-ḵā} ‘at Your rebuke’ introduces the divine causative action, while minishmat ruach apekha {מִנִּשְׁמַת רוּחַ אַפֶּךָ | mi-nish-mat rû-aḥ ʾap-pe-kā} ‘from the breath of Your nostrils’ merges wind and wrath imagery to intensify divine power. The direct address of Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} frames this verse as a portrayal of divine sovereignty over creation. |