| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the wayyiqtol form vayomer {וַיֹ֤אמֶר | way-yō-mer} ‘and He said,’ advancing the narrative. The subject Mosheh {מֹשֶׁה֙ | mō-šeh} is followed by the prepositional phrase el-Aharon {אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן | ʾel-ʾa-hă-rōn}, identifying Aaron as addressee. Moses issues the Qal imperative emor {אֱמֹ֗ר | ʾe-mōr} ‘speak,’ commissioning Aaron. The construct chain el kol adat bene Yisrael {אֶֽל־כָּל־עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | ʾel-kāl-ʿă-ḏaṯ bə-nê yiś-rā-ʾēl} ‘to the assembly of all the sons of Israel’ highlights corporate identity. The plural imperative kirvu {קִרְב֖וּ | qir-bû} ‘come near’ summons the group, with lifne Yahweh {לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | lip̄-nê Yə-hō-wāh} ‘before the LORD’ marking divine presence. The conjunction ki {כִּ֣י | kî} introduces a causal clause, and the perfect shama {שָׁמַ֔ע | šā-maʿ} ‘He has heard’ underscores completed divine perception of telunoteikhem {תְּלֻנֹּתֵיכֶֽם | tə-lun-nō-ṯê-ḵem} ‘your complaints.’ The verse embeds Aaron’s commission within Moses’ declaration, and the rendering of ki as “for” in the formal and “because” in the dynamic preserves the causal linkage while accommodating different stylistic registers. |