| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a chain of vav-consecutive verbs to map a boundary route. Vav-consecutive Qal imperfects—vetaʾar {וְתָאַ֣ר | wə-ṯā-ʾar} ‘and it turned’, veyatsa {וְיָצָא֙ | wə-yā-ṣāʾ} ‘and it went out’, and veyarad {וְיָרַ֕ד | wə-ya-raḏ} ‘and it went down’—create sequential motion. The relative particle ʼă-šer- {אֲשֶׁר־ | ʼă-šer-} ‘which’ plus the preposition nō-ḥaḵ {נֹ֖כַח | nō-ḥaḵ} ‘opposite’ directs orientation toward ma-ʻă-lē {מַעֲלֵ֣ה | ma-ʻă-lē} ‘ascent’ (mountain pass). Construct chains such as ʾê-ḇen Bō-ḥān ben-Re-ʼū-ben {אֶ֥בֶן בֹּ֖הַן בֶּן־רְאוּבֵֽן | ʾê-ḇen Bō-ḥān ben-Re-ʼū-ben} link topographical landmarks with tribal genealogy. English phrasing shifts clause boundaries for readability while preserving the ordered progression. |