| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav consecutive verb veyasfu {וְיָסְפ֣וּ | wə-yā-sə-p̄ū}, indicating continuation. The phrase hashotrim ledaber el-ha-am {הַשֹּׁטְרִים לְדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעָם | ha-šō-tə-rîm lə-dab-bēr ʾel-hā-ʿām} introduces the military officers’ announcement to the people. The conjunction veamru {וְאָמְר֗וּ | wə-ʾä-merû} introduces a self-selecting question with mihaish {מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ | mî-hā-ʾîš} ‘who is the man’. The paired descriptors hayare verakh halevav {הַיָּרֵא וְרַךְ הַלֵּבָב | ha-yā-rê wə-rakh ha-le-vāv} highlight a lack of courage. The jussives yelekh veyashov {יֵלֵךְ וְיָשֹׁב | yē-lêḵ wə-yā-šōv} express voluntary withdrawal. The prohibitive velo yimmas {וְלֹא יִמַּ֛ס | wə-lōʾ yim-mas} combined with kilvavo {כִּלְבָבֽוֹ | ki-lə-ḇā-vô} uses a melting metaphor for morale loss. The Hebrew sequence of command and purpose is preserved by linking the departure instruction with the reason clause in English. |