| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with šāmaʿtî {שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי | šāmaʿtî} ‘I have heard’, a Qal perfect asserting God’s full awareness of Israel’s discontent. The compound ʾeṯ-təlunnōt {אֶת־תְּלוּנֹּת֮ | ʾeṯ-təlunnōt} combines the direct object marker with the noun ‘complaints’, highlighting specific murmuring. The imperative dabbēr ʾalêhem lēʾmôr {דַּבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם לֵאמֹר | dabbēr ʾalêhem lēʾmôr} frames the divine speech introduction. The prepositional phrase bēn hāʿarbayim {בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם | bēn hāʿarbayim} ‘between the evenings’ employs the Hebrew dual to signal a two-stage provision. The sequential imperfects tōʾəklû and tiśbəʿû-lāḥem {תֹּאכְלוּ … תִּשְׂבְּעוּ־לָחֶם | tōʾəklû … tiśbəʿû-lāḥem} promise meat and bread satisfaction, while the vav-consecutive wîḏaʿtəm {וִידַעְתֶּם | wîḏaʿtəm} introduces the result clause. The covenant formula kî ʾănî Yahweh ʾĕlōhêkhem {כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | kî ʾănî Yahweh ʾĕlōhêkhem} culminates the passage, linking sustenance with divine identity. |