| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunctive spatial marker uvein {וּבֵ֣ין | ū-vēn} ‘and between’, signaling the setting with a spatial relationship. Next the definite feminine plural noun hamma‘berot {הַֽמַּעְבְּר֗וֹת | ha-ma‘b-bə-rōṯ} ‘the passes’ establishes the location. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ’ă-šer} ‘which’ introduces the clause describing Jonathan’s intent, where the verb bikesh {בִּקֵּ֤שׁ | bik-keš} ‘sought’ with the infinitive construct la‘avor {לַֽעֲבֹר֙ | la-‘ā-vōr} ‘to cross’ and the preposition al-matsev {עַל־מַצַּ֣ב | ʿal-maṭ-ṣēb} ‘over the outpost’ governs the proper noun Pelishtim {פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | Pe-lish-tīm} ‘Philistines’ as its object. The narrative then describes the landmark shen-hasela‘ {שֵׁן־הַסֶּ֤לַע | šēn-ha-sě-lā‘} ‘tooth of the rock’ followed by the prepositional phrase meha‘ever mizzeh {מֵהָעֵ֙בֶר֙ מִזֶּ֔ה | mē-hā-‘ē-ver miz-zeh} ‘from this side’; this phrase is repeated with the conjunction ve preceding the parallel shen-hasela‘ meha‘ever mizzeh. Finally, the clauses introduced by ve-shem {וְשֵׁ֤ם | wə-šēm} ‘and the name’ specify haechad Botsets {הָֽאֶחָד בּוֹצֵ֔ץ | hā-’ě-ḥăd Bō-ṣěts} and ve-shem haechad Seneh {וְשֵׁ֥ם הָאֶחָ֖ד סֶֽנֶּה | wə-šēm hā-’ě-ḥăd Se-ne-h} ‘the one Bozez’ and ‘the one Seneh’. The alternation between the relative clause and the listing of geographic features, along with the parallel phrasing, preserves the Hebrew narrative focus and symmetry in translation, while adapting the VSO order to natural English SVO. |