| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vā-yō-mer} ‘and he said,’ marking the introduction of direct speech. The indirect object la'am {לָעָם | lā-‘ām} ‘to the people’ is further defined by the relative clause asher itto {אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ | ’ă-šer ’it-tō} ‘who were with him.’ The command piqdu-na {פִּקְדוּ־נָ֣א | piq-dû-nā’} ‘please muster’ (Qal imperative + entreaty) is immediately followed by ur'u {וּרְא֔וּ | u-rə-’û} ‘and see,’ creating a two-step imperative sequence. The interrogative clause mi halakh me'immanu {מִי הָלַךְ מֵעִמָּנוּ | mî hā-laḵ mē-‘im-mānû} asks ‘who has departed from among us.’ The narrative resumes with vayifqedu {וַֽיִּפְקְד֔וּ | vā-yip-qə-ḏû} ‘and they mustered,’ leading into the existential vehinneh ein {וְהִנֵּ֛ה אֵ֥ן | wə-hin-nê ’ên} ‘and behold, there is not,’ which highlights the absence of the participial phrase nose kelav {נֹשֵׂא כֵלָֽיו | nō-sê ḵê-lāv} ‘the one carrying his weapons.’ |