| 10. Linguistic Exegesis veemek {וְעֵ֣מֶק | wə-ʿē-meq} ‘and valley’ introduces the geographic setting and links this clause to the preceding battle account. The proper name hasidim {הַשִׂדִּ֗ים | ha-śid-dîm} specifies the valley. The phrase beerot beerot chemar {בּֽ͏ֶאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר | bə-ʾĕ-rōṯ bə-ʾĕ-rōṯ ḥē-mār} ‘pits, pits of bitumen’ uses repetition for intensification, portraying hazardous terrain. A nominal clause lacking a verb in Hebrew is rendered with “had” or “was filled with” in English to convey the descriptive sense. The narrative then uses a sequence of wayyiqtol verbs: vayanusu {וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ | way-yā-nu-sû} ‘and they fled’ applies to the compound subject melekh-sedom vaamorah {מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה | me-leḵ sə-ḏōm wa-ʿă-mō-rāh} ‘kings of Sodom and Gomorrah.’ Vayippelushammah {וַיִּפְּלוּ־שָׁ֑מָּה | way-yip-pə-lû-šām-māh} ‘and they fell there’ logically follows into the same pits. The participle vehanisharim {וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים | wə-han-niš-ʾā-rîm} ‘the ones remaining’ introduces survivors, and the perfect nasu {נָּֽסוּ | nā-sû} ‘they fled’ with directional herah {הֶ֥רָה | he-rāh} ‘to the hill country’ marks the decisive escape. This structure maintains the Hebrew flow of successive vav-consecutive clauses and highlights the shift from disaster to deliverance in the elevated hill country. |