| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive marker vayomeru {וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ | wayyōʾmerû} ‘and they said’, signaling direct speech and advancing the storyline. The phrase kol haʿēḏāh {כָּל־הָעֵדָה | kôl-hāʿēḏāh} ‘the whole congregation’ marks a unified subject. A Qal infinitive construct lirgôm {לִרְגּוֹם | lirgôm} ‘to stone’ with the object ʾōṯām {אֹתָם | ʾōṯām} and the instrument baʾăḇānîm {בָּאֲבָנִים | baʾăḇānîm} ‘with stones’ conveys violent intent. In contrast, the construction ûḵəḇôḏ Yahweh nīrʾāh {וּכְב֣וֹד יְהוָה נִרְאָה | û-ḵəḇôḏ Yahweh nīrʾāh} uses the Niphal perfect to depict divine action as a visible event. The locative construct bəʾōhēl mōʿēḏ {בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד | bəʾōhēl mōʿēḏ} ‘in the tent of meeting’ identifies the sacred setting, and the prepositional phrase ʾel-kôl-bənê-yiśrāʾēl {אֶל־כָּל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾel-kôl-bənê-yiśrāʾēl} ‘to all the sons of Israel’ denotes the audience. English coordination with “but” captures the abrupt shift from human violence to divine intervention, replicating the Hebrew narrative tension. |