| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a coordinate list of four place names—ayin {עַ֥יִן | ʿă-yîn} ‘Ain’, rimmon {רִמּ֖וֹן | rim-môn} ‘Rimmon’, wā-ʿe-ter {וָעֶ֣תֶר | wā-ʿe-ter} ‘and Eter’, and wə-ʿā-šān {וְעָשָׁ֑ן | wə-ʿā-šān} ‘and Ashan’—joined by the conjunction waw. This is followed by arim {עָרִים | ʿă-rîm} ‘towns’ and the feminine numeral arba {אַרְבַּע | ʾăr-bāʿ} ‘four’, where the form of the number agrees with the feminine noun. The final construct chain wə-ḥa-ṣer-ê-hen {וְחַצְרֵיהֶן | wə-ḥa-ṣer-ê-hen} ‘and their villages’ links ancillary settlements to the main towns. In English the list is preserved and then summarized, with agreement rendered naturally and the construct relationship indicated by “their.” |