| 42. Linguistic Exegesis The Pi’el imperfect verb ve-esh-chakem {וְאֶשְּׁחֲקֵם | wə·ʾeš·ša·ḵēm} “pulverized them” conveys vigorous, intensive action. The simile ke-afar {כְּעָפָר | kə·ʿā·p̄ār} “like dust” with the prepositional phrase al-penei-ruach {עַל־פְּנֵי־רוּחַ | ʿal·pə·nê·rū·aḥ} “upon the face of wind” creates imagery of total dispersal. A parallel structure contrasts ke-tit {כְּטִיט | kə·ṭî·ṭ} “like mud” and chutzot {חוּצוֹת | ḥū·ṣō·ṯ} “streets,” emphasizing public debasement. The Hif’il imperfect arikem {אֲרִיקֵם | ʾă·rî·qēm} “I emptied them” denotes causative removal. This parallelism and repeated first-person subject heighten the rhetorical force of the victory song. |