| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vekol {וְכֹ֗ל | wə-ḵōl} ‘and all’, linking it to the preceding territorial list. The construct noun arei {עָרֵי֙ | ʿārê} ‘towns’ immediately leads into the following proper name Sihon {סִיחוֹן֙ | sîḥôn}, forming a genitive construct chain. An appositional phrase with melekh {מֶ֣לֶךְ | mêleḵ} ‘king’ and the gentilic ha’emori {הָאֱמֹרִ֔י | hā-ʾĕmôrî} ‘the Amorite’ identifies his tribal affiliation. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾăšêr} ‘who’ introduces a defining clause containing the Qal perfect verb malakh {מָלַ֖ךְ | mālaḵ} ‘ruled’, indicating completed sovereignty. The phrase becheshbon {בְּחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן | bə-ḥešbōn} ‘in Heshbon’ situates his seat of power. The compound expression ad-gebul {עַד־גְּב֖וּל | ʿaḏ-gebûl} ‘up-to-border’ specifies the geographic extent, and the construct bənê {בְּנֵ֥י | bənê} ‘sons of’ + ʿammôn {עַמּֽוֹן | ʿammôn} ‘Ammon’ marks the tribal boundary. In rendering these chains, English prepositional phrases maintain the hierarchical relationships among noun phrases while preserving the emphasis on tribal possessions. |