| 36. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive clause in vehaʾanashim {וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | wə-hā-ʾănā-šîm} ‘and the men,’ marking the subject. The relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} ‘who’ introduces a relative clause in which the Qal perfect shalach {שָׁלַ֥ח | šā-laḥ} ‘sent’ governs Mosheh {מֹשֶׁ֖ה | mō-šé} as subject and the Qal infinitive construct latur {לָת֣וּר | lā-tûr} ‘to scout’ indicating purpose. The preposition et {אֶת | ʾet} ‘{accusative marker}’ marks haʾaretz {הָאָ֑רֶץ | hā-ʾā-rèṣ} ‘the land’ as direct object. The narrative continues with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayashuvu {וַיָּשֻׁ֗בוּ | way-yā-šū-vū} ‘and they returned,’ followed by the Hiphil imperfect vayallinu {וילונו | way-yal-lî-nû} ‘and they stirred up,’ where the causative form indicates initiation of dissent and alav {עָלָיו֙ | ʿā-lāyw} ‘against him’ specifies Moses as the target. The object phrase et kol haʾedah {אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה | ʾet-kôl hā-ʿê-dāh} ‘all the congregation’ marks the communal scope. Finally, the purpose infinitive lehotzi {לְהוֹצִ֥יא | lə-hō-ṣî-ʾ} ‘to bring out’ takes dibbah {דִבָּ֖ה | dib-bāh} ‘a bad report’ and the preposition al {עַל | ʿal} introduces the land as its object. This structure highlights the shift from a reconnaissance mission to communal unrest, with the Hiphil forms conveying causative action. |