כִּ֚י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּ֚י

   ki

   for
2. clause🔊 אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

   el-pe-NEE ha-ka-PO-ret a-SHER al-ha-a-RON ve-LO ya-MUT ki be-a-NAAN e-ra-EH al-ha-ka-PO-ret

   before the mercy seat that on the ark {And} not die for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat
3. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִיךָ֒ וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א בְכָל־עֵת֙ אֶל־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

   va-YO-mer ye-ho-VAH el-mo-SHE da-BER el-a-ha-RON a-KHEE-kha ve-AL-ya-VO be-khol-ET el-ha-KO-desh mi-BEET la-pa-RO-khet el-pe-NEE ha-ka-PO-ret a-SHER al-ha-a-RON ve-LO ya-MUT ki be-a-NAAN e-ra-EH al-ha-ka-PO-ret

   LORD {And He} said to Moses speak to Aaron your brother {And} do not come at all times into the Holy Place from within the veil before the mercy seat that on the ark {And} not die for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat

Exegesis

The purpose clause kî yāmūt {כִּי יָמוּת֔ | kî yāmūt} links death to the cloud theophany, and the clause bəʿānān ʾêrāʾeh {בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה | bəʿānān ʾêrāʾeh} ‘in a cloud I will appear’ highlights the cloud as the divine presence, thereby justifying the lethal warning.