| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative uses the vav-consecutive imperfect vayakam {וַיָּ֙קָם֙ | va-yā-qām} to depict the crowd (kol-ha-am {כָּל־הָעָם | kol-hā-ʿām}) acting as a single unit. The infinitive construct le-emor {לֵאמֹר | le-ʾā-môr} introduces the communal speech of a vow. Two parallel negatives, lo {לֹא | lōʾ} and ve-lo {וְלֹא | wə-lōʾ}, frame the refusal with imperfect verbs (nelekh {נֵלֵךְ | nēlēḵ} ‘we will go’ and nasur {נָס֖וּר | nāsûr} ‘we will turn aside’). The repetition of ish {אִישׁ | ʾîš} with suffixes on le-ohalo {לְאָהֳלוֹ | lə-ʾōhā-lô} and le-beit-o {לְבֵיתֽוֹ | lə-ḇēṯô} personalizes each individual’s commitment, while the simile ke-ish echad {כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד | ke-ʾîš ʾeḥāḏ} underscores the unity of purpose. |