כִּ֣י אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־תֹּ֨ם כָּל־הַגֹּ֜וי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹ֣ול יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאֹותָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהוָ֤ה לַֽאֲבֹותָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (Joshua 5:6)
Opening the Syntax Scroll
In Joshua 5:6, the narrative unfolds a theological and historical reflection through a dense, multi-layered sentence structure. The verse functions not merely as reportage but as a syntactic tapestry of divine judgment and covenantal fulfillment. With several subordinate clauses nested within one another, the verse demands a close examination of how Biblical Hebrew constructs meaning through order, subordination, agreement, and verbal nuance.
Clause Structure: Hypotaxis in a Historical Key
This verse consists of a main clause followed by a cascading sequence of subordinate clauses. The main clause is:
כִּ֣י אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר
(“For forty years the sons of Yisraʾel walked in the wilderness”)
This sets the narrative frame, with כִּ֣י serving as the subordinating conjunction introducing an explanatory cause or background. What follows is a series of relative and resultative clauses, creating a layered, recursive structure:
– עַד־תֹּ֨ם כָּל־הַגֹּ֜וי (“until the whole nation perished”)
– אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם (“the men of war who came out of Mitsrayim”)
– אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹ֣ול יְהוָ֑ה (“who did not listen to the voice of YHWH”)
– אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם (“whom YHWH swore to them”)
– לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאֹותָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ (“not to show them the land”)
– אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהוָ֤ה לַֽאֲבֹותָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ (“which YHWH swore to their fathers to give to us”)
The use of multiple אֲשֶׁר-clauses embeds relative ideas within one another, creating deep hypotaxis rather than a flat paratactic narrative.
Word Order and Emphasis: Fronted Time and Thematic Progression
The temporal prepositional phrase כִּ֣י אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה is fronted before the verb הָלְכ֣וּ. This is a marked word order emphasizing the duration of judgment. A more neutral VSO order would be הָלְכוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. The fronting of the temporal adverbial phrase adds gravity and sets the thematic tone for divine judgment and endurance.
Nominal Phrases: Construct Chains and Relative Precision
Several rich noun phrases appear:
– כָּל־הַגֹּוי (“the entire nation”): a definite noun with כָּל emphasizing totality.
– אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה (“men of war”): a construct chain expressing qualification. This restricts the reference of the nation to military-aged males.
– אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ: a poetic noun phrase where זָבַת governs חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ, creating a genitive-style phrase describing abundance.
Verbal Syntax and Complementation
The primary verb הָלְכוּ (“they walked”) takes a location complement בַּמִּדְבָּר. But semantically, the verb implies wandering or aimless movement, reinforced by the duration.
Later verbals include:
– שָׁמְעוּ (negated): governs a prepositional complement בְּקֹול יְהוָה — a common Hebrew idiom.
– נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה: divine oath-taking, twice repeated, once about them, once to the fathers.
Agreement Patterns: Concord and Theological Force
The verb הָלְכוּ agrees in number and gender with בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (masculine plural). Later, שָׁמְעוּ also agrees with אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה. There is no violation of agreement here, but the chain of apposition between collective singulars and plural subgroups requires careful parsing.
Tense, Aspect, and Modal Force
– הָלְכוּ and שָׁמְעוּ: qatal (perfect), marking completed action.
– נִשְׁבַּע: also qatal, but paired with the modal infinitive לְבִלְתִּי הַרְאֹותָם (“not to let them see”) gives the whole clause a modal and purpose tone.
Waw-Consecutive and Structural Rhythm
Interestingly, wayyiqtol is absent in this verse. Instead, the verse flows through qatal and infinitival clauses, emphasizing result and explanation over sequence. This contributes to its reflective tone rather than narrative progression.
Emphasis and Syntactic Focus
The use of אֶת־ before הָאָרֶץ highlights it as a definite direct object. This syntactic marker distinguishes it clearly as the promised inheritance denied. Repetition of נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה and אֲשֶׁר clauses builds tension and underlines the thematic focus on divine oath and judgment.
Discourse Reflection: Syntax as Judgment Narrative
This verse is part of a transition in Joshua, explaining why only the new generation enters the land. The nested syntax enacts the very judgment it describes—delaying, extending, and compounding clauses as if mirroring the forty years themselves.
The final phrase אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ is the only full noun clause that breaks free from relative embedding, providing a breath of hope.
The Architecture of Emphasis
Joshua 5:6 reveals how Biblical Hebrew syntax mirrors its theology: complex, recursive, and exacting. The layering of subordinate clauses dramatizes divine judgment; fronting and repetition heighten the emotive force; and even the absence of narrative waw reshapes our expectations. Syntax is not merely structure—it is revelation in grammatical form.
