| 35. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the nominal phrase uvenei Yisrael {וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | û-ḇə-nê yiś-rā-ʾēl}, where the conjunction vav links “sons of Israel” as the subject. The verb akhlu {אָכְלוּ | ʾā-ḵə-lû} in the Qal perfect indicates completed action by the group. The direct-object marker combined with manna forms et-haman {אֶת־הַמָּן | ʾeṯ-ham-mān}, marking the definite object. The temporal accusative expression arbaim shanah {אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה | ʾar-ba-ʿîm šā-nāh} denotes the duration “forty years.” The prepositional phrase ad-boam el-erets noshevet {עַד־בֹּאָם אֶל־אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת | ʿaḏ-bō-ʾām ʾel-ʾe-reṣ nō-šā-ḇeṯ} marks the general endpoint at “a land inhabited.” A parallel clause repeats et-haman akhlu ad-boam and then el-ktseh erets kennan {אֶל־קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן | ʾel-qə-ṣēh ʾe-reṣ kə-nā-ʿan}, narrowing the endpoint to Canaan’s border. This parallel structure emphasizes sustained divine provision across both a broad region and its specific boundary. |