| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive plus Piel imperfect vayyedabber {וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר | wə-yə-ḏabber} ‘and he spoke’, signaling divine discourse. The retrospective clause acharei mot shenei bnei Aharon {אַחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן | ʾa-ḥă-rê mō-wṯ šê-nê bə-nê ʾă-hǎ-rōn} frames the timing after a fatal event. The infinitive construct beqarvatam {בְּקָרְבָתָ֥ם | bə-qor-vā-tām} functions adverbially to specify approach, which is followed by the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayamutu {וַיָּמֻֽתוּ | wa-ya-mū-ṯû} ‘and they died’, highlighting a causal result. The phrase lifnei Yahweh {לִפְנֵי־יְהוָ֖ה | li-p̄-nê Yə-hō-wāh} emphasizes proximity to the divine presence. |