| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative continuity is marked by vayitnu {וַיִּתְּנוּ | wayyiṯnû} ‘and they gave’, where the vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect advances the account. The construct phrase benei yisra’el {בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל | bə-nê yiśrā’ēl} ‘sons of Israel’ identifies the distributive subject, immediately linked to la-leviyim {לַלְוִיִּם | la-lewi-yîm} ‘to the Levites’, whose definite article denotes a distinct recipient group. Minaḥalotam {מִנַּחֲלָתָם | mi-nă-ḥă-lā-tām} ‘from their inheritance’ highlights the divine land allotment (nachalah). The idiom el-pi Yahweh {אֶל־פִּי יְהוָה | ’el-pî Yəhôwâ} ‘according to the word of the LORD’ uses a preposition + construct noun + divine name to convey divine authorization. The two direct-object markers ’et introduce he’arim ha’elleh {אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה | ’et he-‘ā-rîm hā-’ellēh} ‘these cities’ and wə’et miḡrešeihen {וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶן | wə-’et miḡ-rə-šê-hên} ‘and their pasturelands’, together defining the scope of the gift. The order of urban centers followed by pasturelands reflects the priority of cities supported by their surrounding lands. The formal translation preserves Hebrew word order for legal precision, while the dynamic version smooths the phrasing for modern readability. |