וַיְהִ֤י לָהֶם֙ הַגְּב֔וּל יַעְזֵר֙ וְכָל־עָרֵ֣י הַגִּלְעָ֔ד וַחֲצִ֕י אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֑ון עַד־עֲרֹועֵ֕ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י רַבָּֽה׃
And their border was Yaʿzer, and all the cities of the Gilʿad, and half the land of the sons of ʿAmmon, up to ʿAroʿer, which is before Rabba.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֤י (vayehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it was”; Notes: Indicates past narration of an event.
- לָהֶם֙ (lahem) – Root: הם (h-m); Form: Preposition לְ with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the tribe of Gad.
- הַגְּב֔וּל (ha-gevul) – Root: גבול (g-v-l); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the border”; Notes: Defines territorial boundaries.
- יַעְזֵר֙ (Yaʿzer) – Root: יעזר (y-ʿ-z-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿzer”; Notes: A significant city in Gilʿad.
- וְכָל־עָרֵ֣י (ve-khol-ʿarei) – Root: עיר (ʿ-i-r); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct; Translation: “and all the cities of”; Notes: Indicates territorial settlements.
- הַגִּלְעָ֔ד (ha-Gilʿad) – Root: גלעד (g-l-ʿ-d); Form: Proper noun, singular, definite; Translation: “the Gilʿad”; Notes: A region east of the Yarden River.
- וַחֲצִ֕י (va-ḥatsi) – Root: חצי (ḥ-ts-y); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and half of”; Notes: Specifies partial land division.
- אֶ֖רֶץ (erets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the land of the sons of ʿAmmon.
- בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֑ון (bene ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (b-n) + עמון (ʿ-m-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + proper noun; Translation: “the sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Refers to the Ammonites.
- עַד־עֲרֹועֵ֕ר (ʿad-ʿAroʿer) – Root: ערער (ʿ-r-ʿ-r); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “up to ʿAroʿer”; Notes: A city near the Yarden River.
- אֲשֶׁ֖ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- עַל־פְּנֵ֥י (ʿal-penei) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates spatial proximity.
- רַבָּֽה (Rabbah) – Root: רבה (r-b-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Rabbah”; Notes: Capital city of the Ammonites.
Syntax Analysis
The sentence follows a standard subject-verb-object structure, where “the border” (הַגְּב֔וּל) serves as the subject, with multiple elements describing its extent. The phrase “up to ʿAroʿer, which is before Rabbah” functions as a locative phrase defining the boundary.
Grammatical Analysis
The phrase וַיְהִ֤י לָהֶם֙ הַגְּב֔וּל presents a formal declaration of territorial inheritance. The construct forms וְכָל־עָרֵ֣י and בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֑ון emphasize possession and lineage, while the use of עַד־עֲרֹועֵ֕ר highlights geographical limitations.
Lexical Semantics
- יַעְזֵר (Yaʿzer): A prominent city east of the Yarden, often associated with pastoral lands (cf. Numbers 32:1).
- גִּלְעָד (Gilʿad): A region known for its balm production and as a major settlement for the tribes of Gad and Menashe.
- רַבָּֽה (Rabbah): The principal city of the Ammonites, later known as Philadelphia in Greco-Roman times.
Word Study
- עַד (ʿad) – “until, up to”: A preposition used to indicate boundaries or limits.
- פָּנִים (panim) – “face, before”: Often used idiomatically to mean “in front of” or “before” in Hebrew spatial descriptions.