| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the cardinal number shalosh {שָׁל֥וֹשׁ | šālōš} ‘three’ immediately before the plural noun arim {עָרִ֖ים | ʿārīm} ‘cities’, marking the specific group to be designated. The verb tavdil {תַּבְדִּ֣יל | tavdîl}, Hiphil imperfect second person masculine singular, conveys the command “you shall set apart.” The prepositional phrase betokh artzekha {בְּת֣וֹךְ אַרְצְךָ֔ | bəṯōḵ ʾărṣəḵā} ‘in the midst of your land’ uses a construct chain to express central placement within the inheritance. The relative clause asher Yahweh Elohekha noten lekha {אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ | ʾăšer Yahweh ʾĕlō·he·ḵā nōtēn ləḵā} ‘which the LORD your God is giving you’ links divine agency to the grant of land. The final infinitival lerishtah {לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ | lərištāh} ‘to possess it’ expresses the purpose and continuity of the inheritance law. English preserves the Hebrew verb–subject order while clarifying covenantal commands and geographical scope. |