| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive verb wayyatsa {וַיַּסַּ֨ע | way-ya-ṣáʿ} ‘and he set out,’ establishing sequential narrative. The direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} ‘direct object marker’ identifies Israel as the object. The construct phrase miyam-suf {מִיַּם־ס֔וּף | mî-yām-sûp} ‘Sea of Reeds’ marks the point of departure. The sequential imperfects vayetse’u {וַיֵּצְא֖וּ | va-yē-ṣə-ʼû} ‘and they went out’ and vayelekhu {וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ | va-yē-lə-ḵû} ‘and they walked’ depict continuous movement toward el-midbar-shur {אֶל־מִדְבַּר־שׁ֑וּר | ʾel mid-bār-šūr} ‘wilderness of Shur.’ The temporal expression sheloshet-yamim {שְׁלֹשֶׁת־יָמִ֛ים | še-lō-šeṯ-yā-mîm} ‘three days’ specifies duration, while the locative ba-midbar {בַּמִּדְבָּר | ba mid-bār} ‘in the wilderness’ situates the action. The negative result velomatse’u {וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ | wə-lō-māts-ʼû} ‘and they did not find’ introduces the absence of mayim {מָֽיִם | mā-yim} ‘water.’ The accumulation of vav-consecutive clauses emphasizes uninterrupted progression and heightens the dramatic tension of scarcity. |