| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive imperfect form vayyir’u {וַיִּרְאוּ֙ | wəyyirʾû} ‘and they saw’, signalling narrative progression. The noun phrase kol-haʼedāh {כָּל-הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה | kol-hāʾēdāh} ‘the entire congregation’ functions as the perceiving subject. The conjunction kî {כִּ֥י | kî} ‘that’ introduces the reported content. The perfect verb gāvaʿ {גָוַ֖ע | gāvaʿ} ‘died’ predicates the fate of ʼAharōn {אַהֲרֹ֑ן | ʾāhărōn}. The direct object marker ʾet {אֶֽת־ | ʾet} foregrounds Aaron as patient of the following vav-consecutive imperfect vayyibbəkū {וַיִּבְכּ֤וּ | wəyyibbəkū} ‘and they wept’. The temporal expression šelōšîm yôm {שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים י֔וֹם | šelōšîm yôm} ‘thirty days’ marks the duration of communal lament. The expanded subject kol bêt yiśrāʾēl {כֹּ֖ל בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | kol bêt yiśrāʾēl} ‘all the house of Israel’ broadens the response to the entire nation. English SVO order preserves both perception and extended mourning. |