Numbers 33:46

Summary

This verse records one stage of the itinerary of the Israelites in the wilderness: they depart from a place called Dibon-Gad and set up camp at a place called Almon-Diblathaim. The sentence follows the same two-verb pattern (departure / encampment) used throughout the stations list in Numbers 33.

Key words

• va-yis'u ("and they set out", H5265) — qal narrative form (vav-consecutive), marking sequential action in the itinerary; third person masculine plural, "they."
• mi-Divon ("from Dibon-", H1769I) — preposition min ("from") prefixed to a proper place name.
• Gad ("Gad", H1410I) — proper name attached to Dibon, distinguishing this Dibon from other places of the same name by associating it with the tribe or person Gad.
• va-yachanu ("and they encamped", H2583) — qal narrative form (vav-consecutive), third person masculine plural, parallel in structure to va-yis'u.
• be-Almon ("at Almon-", H5963) — preposition be ("in/at") prefixed to the place name, marking the site of encampment.

What the text says

The verse is built on two parallel narrative clauses joined by the vav-consecutive construction, a hallmark of Hebrew narrative sequence: va-yis'u ("and they set out") followed by va-yachanu ("and they encamped"). Both verbs are qal, third person masculine plural, and both carry the narrative vav (H9001) that chains this verse to the preceding itinerary entries, producing the rhythmic "they set out from X, and they encamped at Y" pattern that structures the whole chapter.

The two place names are compound: Divon Gad ("Dibon-Gad", H1769I + H1410I) and Almon Divlatayemah ("Almon-Diblathaim", H5963). In each case the preposition (min, "from," H9006 for departure; be, "at," H9003 for encampment) attaches directly to the place name, a common construction in this list. The name Divon Gad pairs the place name Dibon with the name Gad, distinguishing it from other locations called Dibon elsewhere in the biblical text. The grammar itself is minimal and formulaic — no additional verbs, objects, or descriptive clauses — consistent with the register of a travel log rather than a narrated story.

Differences between versions

The Vulgate (VULCLEM) compresses the Hebrew's two place names into a single continuous rendering, "castrametati sunt in Helmondeblathaim," merging Almon and Diblathaim into one word "Helmondeblathaim," where the Hebrew and LXX preserve them as distinct components (Almon, Diblathaim / Γελμὼν, Δεβλαθάιμ). The LXX also omits an explicit rendering of "from" before "Daibon Gad," reading ek Daibōn Gad ("from Daibon Gad") in a form close to the Hebrew, while transliterating both proper names (Δαιβὼν, Γὰδ) similarly to the Hebrew's Divon, Gad.