בְּנֵ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בְּנֵ֥י

   be-NEI

   of the sons of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

   be-NEI am-MON

   of the sons of Ammon.
3. clause🔊 וַיִּירַ֨שׁ אֶת־אַרְצ֜וֹ מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן עַד־יַבֹּק֙ עַד־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֣י עַ֔ז גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

   va-yi-RASH et-ART-so me-ar-NON ad-ya-BOK ad-be-NEI am-MON KI AZ ge-VUL be-NEI am-MON

   and took possession of his land from Arnon as far as Jabbok up to the sons of Ammon for strong the border of the sons of Ammon.
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וַיִּירַ֨שׁ אֶת־אַרְצ֜וֹ מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן עַד־יַבֹּק֙ עַד־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֣י עַ֔ז גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃

   va-ya-ke-HU yis-ra-EL le-FI-KHA-rev va-yi-RASH et-ART-so me-ar-NON ad-ya-BOK ad-be-NEI am-MON KI AZ ge-VUL be-NEI am-MON

   and Israel struck him Israel with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from Arnon as far as Jabbok up to the sons of Ammon for strong the border of the sons of Ammon.

Exegesis

A series of territorial delimiters—me-arnon {מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן | mē-ʾārnon} ‘from Arnon,’ ad-yabboq {עַד־יַבֹּק֙ | ʿad-yabbôq} ‘to Yabbok,’ and ad-benei benei ammon {עַד־בְּנֵ֣י בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן | ʿad-bə-nê bə-nê‒ʿammōn} ‘to the sons of Ammon’—defines the scope of conquest.

The causal clause ki az gevul benei-ammon {כִּ֣י עַ֔ז גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן | kî ʿaz gəvul bə-nê‒ʿammōn} ‘for the border of the sons of Ammon was strong’ explains why Israel’s advance did not proceed beyond this fortified boundary.