| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect vayishma {וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע | wayyišmaʿ} ‘and he heard’, signalling sequential action. The proper noun moshe {מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mōšē} appears as the subject in VSO order. The sequence continues with the vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect vayipol {וַיִּפֹּל | wayyiṗōl} ‘and he fell’, sustaining the narrative flow. The idiom al panav {עַל־פָּנָֽיו | ʿal pānāv} ‘upon his face’ combines the preposition al with panim plus a pronominal suffix to denote prostration. English renders the sequence in SVO order to preserve the temporal progression and highlight the humility of the posture. |