| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the wayyiqtol verbs vayir'u {וַיִּרְא֣וּ | way-yir-ʾû} ‘and they saw’ and vayomru {וַיֹּאמְר֜וּ | way-yōm-rû} ‘and they said’, establishing narrative sequence. The subject bnei-yisrael {בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל | bə-nê-yiś-rā-ʾēl} names the community. The idiom ish el-achiv {אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו | ʾîš ʾel-ʾā-ḥîw} conveys mutual inquiry. The interrogative nominal clause man hu {מָן הוּא | mān hûʾ} ‘What is it?’ highlights their uncertainty. The causal clause ki lo yad'u mah-hu {כִּי לֹא יָדְעוּ מַה־ה֑וּא | kî lōʾ yā-ḏə-ʿû mah-hûʾ} explains their lack of knowledge. The narrative shifts with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | way-yō-mer} ‘and he said’, introducing Mosheh’s clarification. Placing hu hal-lekhem {הוּא הַלֶּחֶם | hûʾ hal-lə-ḥem} ‘it is the bread’ at the clause start gives emphasis. The relative clause asher natan Yahweh {אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהוָה | ʾă-šer nā-ṯan Yə-hō-wāh} attributes the bread to divine action. The infinitive le-okhlah {לְאָכְלָה | lə-ʾā-ḵlə-h} functions as a purpose phrase ‘to eat’. English past tense and direct questions reflect the Hebrew wayyiqtol and nominal clauses, while the infinitive purpose is rendered with an English infinitive. |