| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the wayyiqtol form vaya'anu {וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ | way-ya-ʿă-nû} “and they answered,” which initiates the narrative action. The subject kol ha-am {כָל־הָעָ֤ם | kāl hā-ʿām} “all the people” underscores the collective response, with yaḥdav {יַחְדָּו֙ | yaḥ-dāw} “together” emphasizing unity. The sequence continues with vayomru {וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ | way-yōm-rû} “and they said,” introducing direct speech. Within the quotation, the relative clause kol asher diber Yahweh {כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָה} “everything that the LORD has spoken” features the Piel perfect dibber {דִּבֶּר | dib-bēr} “he spoke” with an implied divine subject. The imperfect na'aseh {נַעֲשֶׂה | na-ʿă-seh} conveys a future-tense communal vow. The narrative resumes with vayashev Mosheh {וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה} “and Moses brought back,” marking Moses’ role as intermediary. The construct divrei ha-am {דִּבְרֵי הָעָם | dib-rê hā-ʿām} “words of the people” functions as the object, and the prepositional phrase el Yahweh {אֶל־יְהוָה | ʾel Yə-hō-wāh} “to the LORD” completes the communication cycle. The Hebrew wayyiqtol forms are rendered in English past tense to preserve narrative flow, and the imperfect expresses the firm resolve inherent in the covenant pledge. |