| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí}, linking this statement closely with the preceding recounting of Israel’s history. The aorist participle kathelon {καθελὼν | kathelṓn} ‘having destroyed’ is adverbial and temporal, indicating that the destruction of the nations precedes the main verbal action. Its object ethne {ἔθνη | éthnē} ‘nations’ is specified by the numeral hepta {ἑπτὰ | heptá} ‘seven’, echoing the traditional list of seven Canaanite peoples and conveying a sense of complete conquest. The prepositional phrase en ge Chanaan {ἐν γῇ Χανάαν | en gē̂ Chanáan} ‘in the land of Canaan’ locates the action geographically, with Chanaan in apposition to ge, clarifying which land is in view. The main verb kateklēronomēsen {κατεκληρονόμησεν | kateklēronómēsen} ‘he gave as an inheritance’ is aorist indicative, presenting a decisive historical act. Its direct object is ten gen auton {τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν | tēn gēn autôn} ‘their land’, where auton most naturally refers back to the dispossessed nations whose land is transferred. The subject is implicit but contextually clear as God, carried over from the preceding discourse about God’s actions for Israel. The Greek syntax places the participle before the main verb, emphasizing the two-step pattern of judgment (destruction of the nations) followed by gift (granting the land as inheritance). The formal translation preserves this temporal sequencing with “after He destroyed… He gave,” while the dynamic rendering uses “after God wiped out… He handed over” to convey both the severity of judgment and the generosity of the inheritance in accessible contemporary language. |