| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The opening noun azuvot {עֲזֻבוֹת | ʿă-zû-ḇôṯ} ‘abandoned places’ qualifies the construct noun arei {עָרֵי | ʿā-rê} ‘cities’ in a construct chain with the proper noun Aroer {עֲרֹעֵר | ʿă-rō-ʿêr}, indicating specific location. The prepositional phrase laadarim {לַעֲדָרִים | la-ʿă-ḏā-rîm} uses the lamed prefix to mark intended purpose “for flocks.” The finite verb tihyeynah {תִּהְיֶינָה | ti-hyê-ye-nā} resumes the subject in the Qal imperfect, while the perfect veravtsu {וְרָבְצוּ | wə-rā-ḇə-ṣû} describes the flocks’ action in sequence. The negative existential ve’ein {וְאֵין | wə-ʾêyn} plus participle macharid {מַחֲרִיד | ma-ḥā-rîḏ} expresses absence of any fear-instiller. English translation preserves the Hebrew word order and emphatic progression by maintaining the construct relation and rendering the participle as a natural result clause. |