| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the vav-consecutive in vayehi {וַיְהִי | wayyəhî} ‘and it happened’, marking a consequential event. The temporal clause kəšammāʿām {כְּשָׁמְעָם | kə-šām-ʿām} ‘as they heard’ immediately follows the proclamation of hatorah {הַתּוֹרָה | hattôrāh} ‘the law’. The hiphil imperfect wayyabdîlû {וַיַּבְדִּילוּ | wayyabdîlû} ‘they separated’ conveys causative intent, underscoring a deliberate communal action. The noun phrase kōl-ʿēreḇ {כָל־עֵרֶב | kōl-ʿēreḇ} ‘all the mixed multitude’ echoes Exodus 12:38’s reference to non-Israelite residents. The prepositional phrase min-yisrāʾēl {מִיּשְׂרָאֵל | min-yisrāʾēl} ‘from Israel’ sets the boundary of membership. In Hebrew the law precedes the action, highlighting its authority as the catalyst for separation. |