| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is a verbless coordination, continuing a geographic register by listing three place names. Each item is linked with the prefixed conjunction wə- {וְ | wə} ‘and,’ producing a rhythmic, additive sequence rather than a single appositive phrase. The first two names carry the prefixed article hā-/ha- {הָ/הַ | hā/ha}, which in such lists can function as part of the recognized toponym or as a marker of a known site within the catalog; English typically does not preserve this article with place names. The final item, wə-ʿāf-rāh {וְעָפְרָה | wə-ʿāf-rāh} ‘and Ophrah,’ lacks the article, yet remains grammatically parallel because the repeated conjunction keeps all three elements on the same syntactic level. In English, the coordination is represented as a simple list, maintaining the initial “And” while using commas for clarity. |