13:6 But the land could13 not support them while they were living side by side.14 Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live15 alongside one another.
tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”
14
tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350–55.
15
tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.