| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with the sequential vav-consecutive (vayelekh {וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ | vay-ye-leḵ} ‘and he went’) to advance the narrative. The prepositional phrase b’derekh akher {בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אַחֵ֑ר | bə-de-reḵ a-ḥer} ‘in another way’ contrasts with the prior path. The negative construction ve-lo-šāḇ {וְלֹֽא־שָׁ֣ב | ve-lo-šāḇ} ‘and he did not return’ emphasizes the refusal to reverse direction, followed by the specifying relative clause ba-dereḵ ašer ba-h {בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֛ר בָּ֥א בָ֖הּ | ba-de-reḵ a-šer ba ba-h} ‘by the way which he came in it.’ The directional phrase ʾel beit-el {אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵֽל | ʾel-bēt-ʾēl} ‘to Bethel’ anchors the destination. In English, the vav-clauses render as discrete past-tense clauses, and relative and directional elements are ordered for natural flow and emphasis. |