Numbers 16:37ExegesisTAB

Numbers 16 : 37 · WLC 17:2 Holiness | Ritual | Purification
37. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse begins with the imperative emor {אֱמֹר | ’ĕmôr} ‘say’ directing Moses to Eleazar {אֶלְעָזָר | ’el-ʿā-zār}. The prepositional phrase el-Eleazar ben Aharon hak-kohen establishes his identity and function. The vav-prefixed Hiphil form wə-yā-rēm conveys a causative “and let him take up,” directly followed by the direct-object marker ēt and hamachtot {הַמַּחְתֹּת | ha-maḥ-ṯôt} “the censers.” The partitive construct mi-bēn ha-sə-rê-p̄āh “from among the burning” specifies the source, while wə-’ēt hā-’ēš resumes the object sequence. The second imperative zə-rêh governs ha-lā-’eh, marking separation “scatter … yonder.” Finally, the conjunction kî introduces the perfect qā-də-šû, indicating a completed state “they have become holy.” The interplay of imperatives, partitive expressions, and sequential markers underscores the ritual logic of removal, purification, and consecration.

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