| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The verse unfolds as a sequence of vav-consecutive actions with vanīrām {וַנִּירָ֛ם | va-nî-rām} ‘and we overthrew them’ followed by the perfect ’āvaḏ {אָבַד | ’ā-vaḏ} ‘has perished’ to report the result on Ḥešḇōn. The prepositional chain ʿad-dî-bōn {עַד־דִּיב֑וֹן | ʿad-dî-bōn}, vanāšîm {וַנַּשִּׁ֣ים | va-nā-šîm} ‘and we laid waste’, and ʿad-nô-pach {עַד־נֹ֔פַח | ʿad-nô-pach} mark progressive territorial reach, while the relative ’ăšer {אֲשֶׁר | ’ă-šer} links to the final extent ʿad-mê-ḏe-bā {עַד־מֵֽידְבָֽא | ʿad-mê-ḏe-bā}. The repeated ʿad-phrases create an accumulative list emphasizing conquest, and the shift from imperfect to perfect highlights outcome before continuing the campaign. |