| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The command opens with wayyomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wayyōmer} introducing a vav-consecutive perfect clause signaling divine speech. The imperative dabber {דַּבֵּר֮ | dabber} ‘speak’ governs the direct object mōšēh {מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mōšēh} ‘to Moses’ and the indirect injunction to ʾāharōn ʾāḥîkā {אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִיךָ֒ | ʾāharōn ʾāḥîkā} ‘to Aaron your brother’. The prohibition marker wəʾal yābōʾ {וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א | wəʾal yābōʾ} ‘and not shall he come’ is qualified by the temporal phrase bəkolʿēt {בְּכָל־עֵת֙ | bəkolʿēt} ‘at all times’. A series of prepositional phrases—ʾel haqqōdeš {אֶל־הַקֹּדֶשׁ | ʾel haqqōdeš} ‘into the sanctuary’, mibbēt lappārōḵeṯ {מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹכֶת | mibbēt lappārōḵeṯ} ‘inside the curtain’, and ʾel pənê hakkappōreṯ {אֶל־פְּנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת | ʾel pənê hakkappōreṯ} ‘before the atonement cover’—delineate sacred access, culminating in the relative clause ʾăšer ʿal hārōn {אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָאָרֹן | ʾăšer ʿal hārōn} specifying the ark. 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. |