| 27. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayavo’u {וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ | wayyā-ḇōʾū} ‘and they came’, signaling sequential action. The place name elimah {אֵילִ֔מָה | ʾê-lî-māh} ‘to Elim’ includes the directional he marking movement toward the oasis, and vesham {וְשָׁ֗ם | wə-šām} ‘and there’ introduces the scene. The dual-construct numeral shteim esreh {שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֛ה | šə-têym ʿə-srê} ‘twelve’ quantifies einot mayim {עֵינֹ֥ת מַ֖יִם | ʿê-nōt mə-yîm} ‘springs of water’, emphasizing provision. The conjoined cardinal veshiv’im temarim {וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים תְּמָרִ֑ים | wə-šî-vîm tə-mā-rîm} ‘and seventy palm trees’ follows standard numeral-noun order. The vav-consecutive vayyakhanu-sham {וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָׁ֖ם | way-ya-ḥa-nû-šam} ‘and they camped there’ binds the locative adverb to the action, and al-hamayim {עַל־הַמָּֽיִם | ʿal-ham-mā-yim} ‘by the waters’ indicates proximity. This structure highlights the abundance and relief at Elim after the crossing of the Red Sea. |