Deuteronomy 4:48
מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֧חַל אַרְנֹ֛ן וְעַד־הַ֥ר שִׂיאֹ֖ן ה֥וּא חֶרְמֹֽון׃
Starting Point: מֵעֲרֹעֵר
מֵעֲרֹעֵר (“from ʿAroʿer”) begins the description of the land’s extent. מִן (“from”) is contracted as מֵ before a guttural letter. עֲרֹעֵר is a known settlement east of the Jordan River, marking the southern starting point of the boundary.
Relative Description: אֲשֶׁר עַל־שְׂפַת־נַחַל אַרְנֹן
אֲשֶׁר (“which”) introduces a relative clause describing עֲרֹעֵר. עַל־שְׂפַת־נַחַל אַרְנֹן (“upon the bank of the Arnon brook”) specifies the location:
- עַל — “upon”
- שְׂפַת — “edge, bank” (construct of שָׂפָה)
- נַחַל — “wadi, stream” (construct relationship: “bank of the wadi”)
- אַרְנֹן — the specific wadi/river name
The construct chain packs geographic precision into a compact phrase, vividly situating the starting point.
Ending Point: וְעַד־הַר שִׂיאֹן הוּא חֶרְמֹון
וְעַד (“and until”) introduces the northern terminus. הַר שִׂיאֹן (“Mount Sion”) is immediately clarified with הוּא חֶרְמֹון (“that is Hermon”). The pronoun הוּא (“he/it”) serves in an appositional explanatory construction, identifying two names for the same mountain — important for ancient and later readers unfamiliar with alternate names.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Deuteronomy 4:48
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| מֵעֲרֹעֵר | ע־ר־ע | Preposition + proper noun | “From ʿAroʿer” — starting point of the boundary |
| אֲשֶׁר | א־שׁ־ר | Relative pronoun | Introduces relative clause about location |
| נַחַל | נ־ח־ל | Noun (ms) | “Wadi, stream” — locational element |
| הוּא | ה־ו־י | Pronoun (3ms) | Apposition marker: “that is Hermon” |
The Grammar of Geography
In Deuteronomy 4:48, Hebrew grammar crafts a boundary — not with dry coordinates, but with layered constructs, relative clauses, and appositional explanation. Names, features, and movements are tied grammatically together, making geography a living narrative that roots Israel’s covenant promises into physical space. Grammar becomes a map where memory, land, and destiny converge.
