Numbers 22:24ExegesisTAB

Numbers 22 : 24 Messenger | Confinement | Barrier
24. Linguistic Exegesis
The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb wayyaʿamôd {וַיַּעֲמֹד֙ | wayyaʿamôd} ‘and he stood’, indicating sequential action. The construct chain malʼâkh Yahweh {מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה | malʼâkh Yahweh} ‘angel of the LORD’ identifies the divine envoy. The prepositional phrase bə-mishʿōl ha-kerāmîm {בְּמִשְׁעוֹל הַכְּרָמִים | bə-mishʿōl ha-kerāmîm} ‘in the narrow passage of the vineyards’ specifies a confined route using noun-state agreement. The reduplicated nominal phrase gāḏēr mī-zeh wə-gāḏēr mī-zeh {גָּדֵר מִזֶּה וְגָדֵר מִזֶּה | gāḏēr mī-zeh wə-gāḏēr mī-zeh} ‘wall on this side and wall on this side’ employs repetition and demonstratives to frame the figure with symmetrical enclosures.

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