| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the waw-consecutive clause vayomru {וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ | wayyōmerû} ‘and they said,’ introducing direct speech with the imperative kumah {ק֚וּמָה | kūmâ} and the cohortative vena‘aleh {וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה | wə-nā‘ălēh}, which together urge collective action. The prepositional phrase ʿalêhem {עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʿălêhem} identifies the target, and the conjunction kî {כִּ֤י | kî} links to the perfect ra’inu {רָאִ֙ינוּ֙ | rā’înû} with its object ha’aretz {הָאָ֔רֶץ | hā’āreṣ} framed by the object marker ’eṯ {אֶת־ | ’eṯ}. Vehinnēh {וְהִנֵּ֥ה | wə-hinnēh} functions as an emphatic ‘behold,’ and ṭôvāh mə’ôd {טוֹבָ֖ה מְאֹ֑ד | ṭôvāh mə’ôd} intensifies the land’s excellence. The rebuke ve’atem machshim {וְאַתֶּ֣ם מַחְשִׁ֔ים | wə’āttêm maḥšîm} ‘and you hesitate’ criticizes reluctance, followed by the prohibitive al te’atzlu {אַל־תֵּעָ֣צְל֔וּ | ’al tê‘āṣəlû}, and the tricolon of infinitives lalechet, labo’, lareshet {לָלֶ֥כֶת לָבֹ֖א لָרֶ֥שֶׁת} expressing the full scope of the mission “to go, to come, to possess.” |