| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayis'u {וַיִּסְע֖וּ | way·yis·ʿû} ‘and they journeyed’, a sequential perfective marker. The preposition mi {מִ} ‘from’ attaches directly to the place name qadesh {קָדֵשׁ | qā·ḏēš} ‘Kadesh’, indicating departure. The subsequent vav-consecutive verb vayavo'u {וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ | way·yā·bō·ʾû} ‘and they came’ continues the temporal chain, followed by the construct chain bnei-yisrael {בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | bə·nē·y yiś·rā·ʾēl} ‘sons of Israel’. This is immediately intensified by the appositional kol-ha'edah {כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה | kol-hā·ʿē·ḏāh} ‘all the congregation’, underscoring corporate unity. The destination is specified by the proper noun hor {הֹ֥ר | ḥôr} ‘Hor’ in apposition to the definite noun ha-har {הָהָֽר | hā-hār} ‘the mountain’, highlighting precise geography. English preserves the Hebrew sequence of departure and arrival and renders the apposition to convey collective emphasis. |