| 45. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wə·yō·’ā·mer} ‘and he said’, introducing direct divine discourse. The Hifil imperative heromu {הֵרֹמּוּ | hē·rō·mū} ‘separate yourselves’ directs Moses and Aaron to distance themselves from mitoch ha’edah hazot {מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה הַזֹּאֶת | mi·tō·kh hā·’ê·ḏāh ha·zō·’êt} ‘the midst of this assembly’, marking a spatial boundary for judgment. The phrase veakleh otam {וְאֶכְלֶה אֹתָם | wə·’ĕḵ·lê ’ō·tām} ‘and I will consume them’ coupled with keraga {כְּרָגַע | kᵊ·rā·ga‘} ‘in a moment’ employs the Qal imperfect with vav-consecutive to express immediate divine intent. Finally, the narrative resumes with vayiplu al-peneihem {וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם | wā·yip·pə·lû ’al-pənê·hēm} ‘and they fell on their faces’, depicting the human response of prostration. The Hebrew VSO order is rendered SVO in English for clarity while preserving the sequence of command and consequence. |