| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb vay·yedabber {וַיְדַבֵּר | vay·dăḇ·ḏer} ‘and he spoke’, setting a narrative frame. The prepositional phrase ʾel-benei Yisrael {אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾel·bə·nê yiś·rā·ʾêl} marks the addressees. The sequence vay·yiṯnû ʾē·lā·w pā·ṭer {וַיִּתְּנוּ אֵלָיו פַּטֵּר | vay·yiṯ·nū ʾē·lā·w pā·ṭer} introduces the action of giving. Repetition of maṭ·tēh lə·nāśîʾ ʾe·ḥād {מַטֵּה לְנָשִׂיא אֶחָד | maṭ·tēh lə·nā·śîʾ ʾe·ḥād} emphasizes distributive allocation. The construct phrase lə·bêt ʾa·ḇō·tām {לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם | lə·bêt ʾa·ḇō·tām} ‘for the house of their fathers’ delineates tribal origin. The numeral clause še·nê·yim ʿa·śār maṭ·tōṯ {שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַטּוֹת | še·nê·yim ʿa·śār maṭ·tōṯ} expresses ‘twelve staffs’ by combining dual and ten. Finally, ū·maṭ·tēh ʾā·hă·rōn bə·to·ḵām {וּמַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן בְּתוֹכָם | ū·maṭ·tēh ʾā·hă·rōn bə·to·ḵām} places Aaron’s staff among them, underscoring inclusion within the tribal assembly. |