Joshua 13:23 "this"

[Kenneth Greifer]

Joshua 13:23 יהושע
13:23וַיְהִ֗י גְּבוּל֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֔ן הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן וּגְב֑וּל זֹ֣את נַחֲלַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃ פ
Does this quote say "this border" or "the border of this"?

[Glenn Dean]

Notice the atnah -

וַיְהִ֗י גְּבוּל֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֔ן הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן וּגְב֑וּל <== notice the placement of the atnah

so the atnah is a major division in the verse - as such the "zot" goes with the following clause. The first clause I would translate as

"The border of the sons of Reuben is the bank of the Jordan" (then the atnah causes the major division, so the clause stops there)

Now the next clause:

זֹ֣את נַחֲלַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽ

Since "zot" begins the clause, it should be translated as "this IS the inheritance of the sons of Ruben ....." (so the translation is not "this inheritance" but rather "this" is the subject, "this is the inheritance ...."

[Jason Hare]

Notice the atnah -

וַיְהִ֗י גְּבוּל֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֔ן הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן וּגְב֑וּל <== notice the placement of the atnah

so the atnah is a major division in the verse - as such the "zot" goes with the following clause. The first clause I would translate as

"The border of the sons of Reuben is the bank of the Jordan" (then the atnah causes the major division, so the clause stops there)

Now the next clause:

זֹ֣את נַחֲלַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽ

Since "zot" begins the clause, it should be translated as "this IS the inheritance of the sons of Ruben ....." (so the translation is not "this inheritance" but rather "this" is the subject, "this is the inheritance ...."

For this, I wish we just had a button on the forum.

Of course, someone will say that the trope is unreliable and not worth noticing. I mean, it's a step beyond vocalization in the Masoretic tradition, you know.

Thanks for your excellent response, Glenn.

[Glenn Dean]

Wha-hoooooooooooo! thanxs Jason! I personally think the entire forum should let out a "yahooooo" (or a "High-5") for my very first good response (ok, to be honest, I think about 20 posts ago I did have a pretty good response ha-ha),

Glenn