| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayugad {וַיֻּגַּד֙ | way-yû-gaḏ} ‘and it was told’, a vav-consecutive + Hofal imperfect third masculine singular verb introducing the report to lemelekh {לְמֶ֣לֶךְ | lə-me-leḵ} ‘king’ and mitsrayim {מִצְרַיִם | mits-ra-yim} ‘Egypt’. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘that’ marks the content clause barach {בָּרַח | bâ-raḥ} ‘had fled’ with haam {הָעָם | hā-ʿâm} ‘the people’ as subject. A subsequent vav-consecutive in vayehapekh {וַיֵּהָפֵךְ | way-hā-pê-ḵ} ‘and was changed’ introduces levav {לְבַב | lə-baḇ} ‘heart’ of paroh {פַּרְעֹה | par-ʿō-h} ‘Pharaoh’ and vaavadav {וַעֲבָדָיו | wa-ʿa-vā-da-yaw} ‘his servants’ directed elhaam {אֶל־הָעָם | ʾel-hā-ʿâm} ‘toward the people’. Direct speech begins with vayomeru {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | va-yō-mer-û} ‘and they said’, followed by mahzot {מַה־זֹּאת | māh-zôt} ‘what is this’ and asinu {עָשִׂינוּ | ʿā-sî-nû} ‘we have done’. The explanatory clause kishilachnu {כִּי־שִׁלַּחְנוּ | kî-šil-lāḥ-nû} ‘because we have sent away’ takes etyisrael {אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾet-yis-rā-ʾēl} ‘Israel’ as direct object and meavdeinu {מֵעָבְדֵנוּ | mē-ʿā-və-dê-nû} ‘from serving us’ as source. This chain of vav-consecutives and content clauses builds narrative momentum, highlights Pharaoh’s responsive reversal, and underscores the causal link between Israel’s departure and Egypt’s reaction. |