| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ki {כִּי | kî} introducing a causal or concessive clause. The noun phrase ha-har {הַר | hār} “hill country” is the subject of yihyeh-lekha {יִֽהְיֶה־לָּךְ | yihyēh-lākh} “shall be yours,” marking future possession. The compound conjunction ki-ya‘ar {כִּֽי־יַעַר | kî-ya‘ar} links an explanatory description of the land’s forested nature. The piel verb u-verêto {וּבֵרֵאתוֹ | û-vê-rē-’ō-tō} “and you shall clear it” signals deliberate action. The subsequent concession ki-tôrîš {כִּֽי־תוֹרִישׁ | kî-tôrîš} introduces assured conquest with the hiphil imperfect. The direct object marker ’et-ha-Kena‘ani {אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי | ’et-hă-kə-na-‘a-nî} foregrounds the Canaanite, and the repeated ki {כִּי} clauses before rekhev {רֶ֤כֶב | rê-ḵeḇ} and chazaq {חָזָק | ḥā-zāq} establish a concessive parallel emphasizing the enemy’s iron chariots and strength. English rendering preserves Hebrew causal-concessive shifts and parallel structure. |