| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse consists of a main clause followed by a causal clause. The opening sequence ve-dor revi'i {וְד֥וֹר רְבִיעִ֖י | wə-dôr rə-ḇî-ʿî} ‘and a fourth generation’ front-loads the temporal framework. This noun phrase precedes the verb yashuvu {יָשׁ֣וּבוּ | yā-šû-bû} ‘they will return’, creating a clause with preverbal subject: “and a fourth generation will return.” The adverb henah {הֵ֑נָּה | hên-nāh} ‘here’ specifies the destination, deictically anchored to the current location of Abram in the land. The conjunction ki {כִּ֧י | kî} ‘for, because’ introduces the rationale for this delayed return, forming a causal subordinate clause. Within that clause, the negative particle lo {לֹא־ | lōʾ-} ‘not’ directly negates the verbal predicate shalem {שָׁלֵ֛ם | šā-lēm} ‘is complete’, yielding the sense “is not complete.” The noun avon {עֲוֺ֥ן | ʿă-wōn} ‘iniquity, guilt’ followed by the definite gentilic ha'emori {הָאֱמֹרִ֖י | hā-ʾĕ-mō-rî} forms a genitival relationship, effectively “the iniquity of the Amorite.” The prepositional phrase ad-henah {עַד־הֵֽנָּה | ʿaḏ-hên-nāh} ‘until now / until here’ modifies shalem, emphasizing that the moral “measure” of Amorite guilt has not yet reached its divinely appointed limit. Syntactically, the Hebrew binds Israel’s future return to Canaan to the completion of the Amorites’ avon, portraying history as governed by measured divine justice. In translation, “in the fourth generation” captures the temporal force of ve-dor revi'i, while “return / come back” expresses the iterative nuance of yashuvu. Rendering shalem with “complete / full” in connection with avon reflects the underlying metaphor of a filling measure of guilt that must reach its threshold before judgment and Israel’s return occur. |