Psalm 44/Notes/Phrasal.V. 20.394809

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  • Preposition בְּ: The preposition of בְצַלְמָוֶת indicates the instrument of covering (GKC §119q).
  • בִּמְקוֹם תַּנִּים ("in the place of jackals"): Entity–characteristic (description, attribute, quality). In the place of jackals; i.e., the place inhabited by jackals. As jackals are typically associated with uninhabited wastes, this image depicts God's wrath (NIDOTTE, 4:310).
  • עָלֵי-נוּ ("[Covered] us"): The preposition עַל can indicate a location "over" or "upon" an object (Arnold and Choi 2018, § 4.1.16a.1). The piel verb כסה regularly pairs with עַל to mean "cover" (DCH, 4:442).
  • בְ-צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ ("With deepest shadow"): The ב indicates the instrument (beth instrumenti) by which an action is realized (BHRG, §39.6.3a). In this construction, it indicates covering "by (means of)" deep darkness (so DCH, 4:442).