| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vaya’al {וַיַּ֗עַל | way-ya-ʿal} ‘and it went up,’ a vav-consecutive form that propels the account of land distribution. The direct object goral {גּוֹרַ֛ל | gō-ral} ‘lot’ denotes the divinely overseen selection, linked to matteh {מַטֵּ֥ה | maṭ-tê} ‘tribe’ in a construct with benei {בְנֵֽי | bə-nê} Binyamin {בִנְיָמִ֖ן | bin-ya-min} ‘sons of Benjamin,’ while lemishpechotam {לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם | lə-mish-pe-ḥō-tām} ‘according to their clans’ marks sub-tribal divisions. In the second clause vayetze {וַיֵּצֵא֙ | way-yē-ṣēʾ} ‘and it went out’ introduces gevul {גְּבו֣ל | gə-vul} ‘border’ belonging to goralam {גּוֹרָלָ֔ם | gō-rā-lām} ‘their lot.’ The paired prepositions bein {בֵּ֚ין | bēn} ‘between’ and uvein {וּבֵ֖ין | ū-bēn} ‘and between’ establish a symmetrical boundary between the territories of Judah and Joseph. |