| 12. Linguistic Exegesis vehigbalta {וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ | wə-hig-bal-tā} ‘and you shall set a boundary’ functions as the primary legal directive. The particle et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} introduces haʿam {הָעָם | hā-ʿām} ‘the people’ as direct object, while saviv {סָבִיב | sā-ḇîḇ} ‘around’ denotes complete encirclement. The infinitive construct leʾemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-ʾmōr} marks the shift to direct speech. Within the quotation, the imperative hishameru {הִשָּׁמְרוּ | hiš-šā-mə-rû} ‘guard yourselves’ governs two infinitives: alot {עֲלוֹת | ʿă-lôṯ} ‘going up’ tied to bahar {בָּהָר | bā-hār} ‘on the mountain’, and negoa {נְגֹעַ | nə-gō-ʿa} ‘touching’ linked to bekatsehu {בְּקָצֵ֑הוּ | bə-qā-ṣē-hû} ‘at its edge’. The nominal clause kol hanogea bahar {כָּל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהָר | kāl han-nō-gē-ʿa bā-hār} ‘everyone touching the mountain’ serves as subject for the niphal imperfect yumat {יוּמָת | yû-māt} ‘he shall be put to death’, establishing an unequivocal capital penalty. The progression from boundary demarcation to prohibition to execution reflects the structured legal style of Sinai legislation. |