| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The adverb kein {כֵּן | kên} establishes continuity with the preceding command. The verb ta’aseh {תַּעֲשֶׂה | ta‘ăšeh} in the Qal imperfect functions as the main directive, selecting le-khol he’arim {לְכָל־הֶעָרִים | lə·ḵōl hă·‘ă·rîm} as its object. The adjective harchokot {הָרְחֹקֹת | hā·re·ḥō·qōṯ} qualified by me’od {מְאֹד | me·’ōd} narrows the scope to very distant locations. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁר | ’ă·šer} plus the negator lo {לֹא | lō} introduces a restrictive clause me’arei ha-goyim ha’eleh {מֵעָרֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה | me·‘ā·rê·y ha·gō·yim hā·’ê·leṯ}, distinguishing these from Israel’s towns. Finally, the resumptive pronoun hennah {הֵנָּה | hēn·nāh} reinforces the categorical boundary central to this wartime ordinance. |