| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opening vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | way-yō-mer} ‘and he said’ frames Edom’s report. The indirect object elav {אֵלָיו֙ | ʾê-lāv} ‘to him’ marks Israel’s envoys as recipients. The prohibition lo taavor {לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר | lō ta-ʿă-vôr} ‘you shall not pass’ uses the Qal imperfect 2ms to convey a categorical command. The spatial complement bi {בִּ֑י | bî} ‘through me’ indicates territorial jurisdiction. The concessive pen-bacherav {פֶּן־בַּחֶ֖רֶב | pen-ba-ḥe-rev} ‘lest with the sword’ links prohibition to threat. The result etze {אֵצֵ֥א | ʾê-ṣêʾ} ‘I will go out’ (Qal imperfect 1cs) states the response, and likratekha {לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ | lī-qra-ʾā-te-kha} ‘to meet you’ clarifies purpose. Hebrew word order places the threat immediately after the prohibition; English renders pen as “lest” (formal) or “or” (dynamic) to preserve its concessive nuance. |