עַד־הַנַּ֔חַל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עַד־הַנַּ֔חַל

   ad-ha-NA-khal

   up to the wadi or the stream-valley
2. clause🔊 וְסָחַ֤בְנוּ אֹתוֹ֙ עַד־הַנַּ֔חַל עַ֛ד אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹא־נִמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם גַּם־צְרֽוֹר׃

   ve-sa-KHAV-nu o-TO ad-ha-NA-khal AD a-she-re-lo-nim-TSA SHAM gam-tse-ROR

   and we shall drag it up to the wadi or the stream-valley until which not is found there even a pebble or a small stone
3. sentence🔊 וְאִם־אֶל־עִיר֙ יֵֽאָסֵ֔ף וְהִשִּׂ֧יאוּ כָֽל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־הָעִ֥יר הַהִ֖יא חֲבָלִ֑ים וְסָחַ֤בְנוּ אֹתוֹ֙ עַד־הַנַּ֔חַל עַ֛ד אֲשֶֽׁר־לֹא־נִמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם גַּם־צְרֽוֹר׃

   ve-im-e-el-IR ye-a-SEF ve-his-SI-u khol-yis-ra-EL el-ha-IR ha-HI kha-va-LIM ve-sa-KHAV-nu o-TO ad-ha-NA-khal AD a-she-re-lo-nim-TSA SHAM gam-tse-ROR

   and if to a city he is gathered or he withdraws then they shall bring all Israel to the city that ropes and we shall drag it up to the wadi or the stream-valley until which not is found there even a pebble or a small stone

Exegesis

The two successive prepositional clauses—ʿad hā-náḥal {עַד הַנַּחַל | ʿad hā-náḥal} ‘up to the valley’ and ʿad ăšer lōʾ nimṣāʾ šām {עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִמְצָא שָׁם | ʿad ăšer lōʾ nimṣāʾ šām} ‘until there is not found there’—define both the extent and the absolute result of the action, with gam {גַּם | gam} ‘even/also’ intensifying the final tseʾôr {צְרוֹר | tseʾôr} ‘pebble’. The discourse moves from a conditional statement to collective execution and climaxes in a statement of total devastation, which English renders as a clear cause-and-effect progression.