| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayichar {וַיִּ֤חַר | va-yî-ḥar} “and it burned,” an idiom for intense anger attributed to Moses (leMosheh {לְמֹשֶׁה֙} “to Moses”). The adverb meod {מְאֹ֔ד} “greatly” intensifies the emotion. The narrative then proceeds with the vav-consecutive vayomer {וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | va-yō-mer} “and he said,” marking direct address to el-Yahweh {אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה | ʾel-Yə-hō-wāh}. The jussive altefen {אַל־תֵּ֖פֶן | ʾal-tê-pen} “do not turn” introduces a prohibition, linked to el-minchatam {אֶל־מִנְחָתָ֑ם | ʾel-min-ḥā-ṯām} “toward their offering,” a construct phrase denoting purpose. Moses’s defense employs a legal-moral parallelism with two negated clauses—lo nasati {לֹ֠א נָשָׂ֔אתִי | lō nā-sā-ʾtî} “I have not taken” and velo hereti {וְלֹ֥א הֲרֵעֹ֖תִי | wə-lō ḥă-rê-ʿō-tî} “and not I have wronged”—each with an accusative object (chamor echad mehem1; et-echad mehem2) emphasizing his innocence. The structure foregrounds the divine audience before personal exoneration, underscoring Moses’s appeal to Yahweh’s justice. |