| 13. Linguistic Exegesis Isaiah 21:13 employs the prophetic formula massa {מַשָּׂא | massāʼ} ‘oracle’ to introduce a divine declaration against a region. The triadic spatial framing baʿarav {בַּעְרָב | ba-ʿǎ-rāv} – ba-yaʿar {בַּיַּעַר | ba-yǎ-ʿăr} – baʿarav emphasizes location by sandwiching “in the thicket” within “in Arabia.” The Qal imperfect talinu {תָּלִינוּ | tā-līnū} “you will lodge” forecasts action by the caravans, and the construct orchot dedanim {אֹרְחוֹת דְּדָנִים | ʾōr-ḥōṯ də-dā-nîm} “caravans of Dedanites” identifies the subjects. English preserves the repetition and sequence of prepositional phrases to reflect the Hebrew’s poetic emphasis. |