| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect verb vayomeru{וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyōmerû} ‘and they said’, marking the introduction of speech. The prepositional object elav{אֵלָיו | ʾēlāyw̱} ‘to him’ indicates the addressee. The prohibition clause is expressed by the negative particle al{אַל | ʾal} ‘do not’ plus the Qal imperfect tashma{תַּשְׁמַע | tašmaʿ} ‘you let hear’, taking qolekha{קוֹלְךָ | qōlḵā} ‘your voice’ as its object. The prepositional phrase immanu{עִמָּנוּ | ʿimmānū} ‘with us’ defines the insiders. The conjunction pen{פֶּן | pen} ‘lest’ introduces a warning clause leading to the verb yipgeu{יִפְגְּעוּ | yipgāʿû} ‘they may attack’, with bakhem{בָכֶם | bākem} ‘against you’ and the noun subject anashim{אֲנָשִׁים | ʾănāšîm} ‘men’. The nominal phrase marei{מָרֵי | mārē} ‘bitter of soul’ + nefesh{נֶפֶשׁ | nepeš} ‘soul’ intensifies the threat. Finally, the vav-consecutive perfect vesaphta{וְאָסַפְתָּ | wəʾāsaftā} ‘and you will bring upon’ governs the direct object nafshekha{נַפְשְׁךָ | nap̄šexā} ‘your life’ and the coordinated object venepeš{וְנֶפֶשׁ | wənepeš} ‘and life’, with betecha{בֵּיתֶךָ | bêṯexā} ‘of your household’ as a secondary object. Sequential progression from prohibition through threat to consequence heightens the verse’s coercive force. |