| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the wayyiqtol form wayyomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, marking divine speech, followed by the prepositional phrase elav {אֵלָ֤יו | ʾēlāyw} ‘to him’, implicitly addressing Moses. The directive is given in a sequential pair: the imperative lekh-red {לֶךְ־רֵ֔ד | leḵ-rēḏ} ‘go down’ connected by the vav-prefixed perfect vealita {וְעָלִ֥יתָ | wə-ʿālîtā} ‘and you shall go up’, signaling ordered action. The pronoun attah {אַתָּ֖ה | ʾattāh} ‘you’ clarifies the addressee, while veaharon immakh {וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן עִמָּ֑ךְ | wə-ʾahărōn ʿimmākh} ‘and Aaron with you’ extends participation. The prohibition clause uses al {אַל־ | ʾal} ‘do not’ with the imperfect yehersû {יֽ͏ֶהֶרְס֛וּ | yehersû} ‘let them break through’, governing the infinitive laalot {לַעֲלֹ֥ת | laʿălōt} ‘to go up’ and the goal phrase el-Yahweh {אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה | ʾel Yə-hō-wāh} ‘to the LORD’. The warning conjunction pen {פֶּן־ | pen} ‘lest’ introduces the result clause with yifrats bam {יִפְרָץ־בָּֽם | yip̄rāṣ bām} ‘he break out against them’, depicting divine wrath. English renders the wayyiqtol as past narrative, uses imperatives for commands, and conveys pen as “lest” to preserve the Hebrew warning. |