| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the prohibitive construction lo tigga {לֹא־תִגַּ֨ע | lōʾ-tig-gaʿ} ‘No hand shall touch him,’ where the imperfect verb with negative particle conveys a standing prohibition. The noun yad {יָד | yād} ‘hand’ functions impersonally with bo {בּוֹ | bô} ‘him’ pointing to the offender. Ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the rationale clause. The infinitive absolute sakol {סָקוֹל | sā-qōl} coupled with the Niphal imperfect yissakel {יִסָּקֵל | yis-sā-qēl} ‘shall surely be stoned’ and its parallel yaroh {יָרֹה | yā-rōh} with yiyareh {יִיָּרֶה | yiy-yā-rēh} ‘shall surely be shot’ intensify the prescribed penalty. The correlative im behemah im ish {אִם־בְּהֵמָה אִם־אִישׁ | ʾim-bə-hê-māh ʾim-ʾîš} ‘whether beast or man’ inclusively covers all. The terse clause lo yikhyeh {לֹא יִחְיֶה | lōʾ yiḥ-yeh} ‘he shall not live’ categorically denies survival. The temporal clause bimshokh hayovel {בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל | bim-šōḵ ha-yō-vēl} ‘when the ram’s horn is drawn out’ signals the extended trumpet blast, after which hema yaalu bahar {הֵמָּה יַעֲלוּ בָהָר | hēm-māh ya-ʿă-lû bā-hār} ‘they will go up on the mountain,’ marking the shift to permitted ascent. |