| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vayemaʼen {וַיְמָאֵ֣ן | wayyimāʾēn} ‘and he refused’, employing the vav-consecutive to continue the narrative action. The proper noun Edom {אֱדוֹם | ʾĕdôm} serves as the agent. The infinitive construct neton {נְתֹן | nəṯōn} ‘to allow’ expresses the purpose of the refusal, with the particle et {אֵת | ʾēṯ} marking Yisraʾēl {יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yiśrāʾēl} as the direct object. The infinitive avor {עֲבֹר | ʿăḇôr} ‘to pass’ completes the request. The prepositional phrase bigbulo {בִּגְבֻלוֹ | biḡbūlô} ‘in his territory’ specifies the spatial boundary. The following vav-consecutive verb wayyaṭ {וַיֵּ֥ט | wayyaṭ} ‘and he turned’ introduces a shift in action. The pronoun subject is omitted in Hebrew, but contextually Yisraʾēl resumes as subject with the prepositional phrase mêʿālāyw {מֵעָלָיו | mêʿālāyw} ‘from upon him’, indicating departure. The coordination of these vav clauses highlights the causal relationship between Edom’s refusal and Israel’s withdrawal and underscores the sovereignty of territorial borders in the narrative. |