| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wā·yō·mer} ‘and he said’, marking the narrative shift to Moses’ address. The prepositional phrase ʾel-hā-ʿām {אֶל־הָעָ֗ם | ʾel-hā-ʿām} identifies the audience for the imperative zakhor {זָכ֞וֹר | zā-khôr} ‘remember’, followed by the direct object marker ʾēṯ {אֵ֫ת | ʾēṯ} introducing the temporal phrase ha-yôm ha-zéh {הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ | ha-yôm ha-zéh} ‘this day’. The relative clause introduced by ʾă-šer {אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾă-šer} with the perfect yə-ṣā-tem {יְצָאתֶ֤ם | yə-ṣā-tem} ‘you went out’ defines the event. Parallel prepositions mimmits-rā-yim {מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ | mimmits-rā-yim} and mib-bēt ʿă-vā-dîm {מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים | mib-bēt ʿă-vā-dîm} reinforce the liberation motif. The conjunction kî {כִּ֚י | kî} introduces a causal clause centered on the Hiphil perfect hō-ṣîʾ {הוֹצִ֧יא | hō-ṣîʾ} ‘he brought out’, with bə-ḥō-zek yāḏ {בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד | bə-ḥō-zek yāḏ} ‘with a strong hand’ emphasizing divine power. The subject of this verb is Yahweh {יְהֹוָ֛ה | Yə-hō-wāh}. The verse concludes with the ongoing prohibition wə-lō yē-ʾā-khel {וְלֹ֥א יֵאָכֵ֖ל | wə-lō yē-ʾā-khel} ‘shall not be eaten’ governing ḥā-mêts {חָמֵֽץ | ḥā-mêts}. |