| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the construct phrase arey {עָרֵי | ʿārê} ‘cities’ of the Negev ha-negev {הַנֶּגֶב | hā-nê-ḡēv} ‘Negev’, establishing geographic focus. The verb suggeru {סֻגְּרוּ | suggərû} ‘were shut’ conveys completed closure. The existential clause we-ein poteach {וְאֵין פֹּתֵחַ | wə-ʾên pōtēaḥ} ‘and there is no opening’ emphasizes the absence of anyone to open the cities. A verbless nominal statement haglat {הָגְלָת | hāglāṯ} ‘exile’ of Judah Yehudah {יְהוּדָה | Yəhūdā} ‘Judah’ is strengthened by repeating haglat {הָגְלָת | hāglāṯ} ‘exile’ for rhetorical intensity. Finally, shelomim {שְׁלוֹמִים | šəlômîm} ‘completely’ functions adverbially to denote full measure. English preserves the Hebrew’s paratactic style and the effect of doubling through parallel structure and intensifiers. |