Exodus 16:8 — ExegesisTAB

The narrative opens with the wayyiqtol vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | way-yō-mer} ‘and he said,’ introducing Moses’ speech. The temporal infinitive construct betet {בְּתֵת | bə-tēt} ‘when giving’ governs the paired objects basar {בָּשָׂר | bā-śār} ‘meat’ and velekhem {וְלֶחֶם | wə-le-ḥem} ‘bread,’ while lisboa {לִשְׂבֹּעַ | liś-bō-ʿa} ‘to be satisfied’ marks the intended result and bishmoa {בִּשְׁמֹעַ | biš-mō-ʿa} ‘when hearing’ introduces God’s responsive action. The Piel participle mallinim {מַלִּינִים | mal-lî-nim} ‘complaining’ conveys ongoing murmuring, and the conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘because’ links provision to divine hearing. The rhetorical question “who are we?” contrasts human intermediaries with the sovereign LORD. English renders infinitive constructs as temporal and result clauses, preserving ki’s causal and adversative senses in “because” and “but.”