| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative employs vav-consecutive verbs (vayyelekhu {וַיֵּלְכוּ | wayyēleḵû} ‘and they went’, vayyābōʾû {וַיָּבֹאוּ | wayyābōʾû} ‘and they came’) to mark sequential action. The construct phrase khameshet ha-anashim {חֲמֵשֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁים | ḥămešet hāʾănāšîm} identifies the five men. The relative clause asher-bekirbah {אֲשֶׁר־בְּקִרְבָּהּ | ăšer bə-qirbâh} with the participle yoshevet-labetakh {יוֹשֶׁבֶת־לָבֶטַח | yōšeḇet lá-bê-ṭaḥ} depicts their secure settlement. Kemishpat {כְּמִשְׁפַּט | kə-mīš-pāṭ} shows conformity to local custom. The existential clause ve-ein-makhlim davar {וְאֵין־מַכְלִים דָּבָר | wəʾēn makhlîm dāvar} indicates there was nothing lacking among them, and yoresh etser {יוֹרֵשׁ עֶצֶר | yōrēš ʿeṣer} conveys possession of wealth. The phrases u-reḥokim hemmah mitsidonim {וּרְחֹקִים הֵמָּה מִצִּדֹנִים | ū-rəḥōqîm hēmmah miṣīḏōnîm} and ve-davar ein-lahem im-adam {וְדָבָר אֵין־לָהֶם עִם־אָדָם | wə-dāvar ʾēn lāhem ʿim-ʾādām} emphasize geographic separation and lack of social interaction, portraying an isolated but secure community. |