| 35. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative clause begins with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | wā-yō-mer} ‘and he said’, transitioning into direct divine speech. The compound malakh Yahweh {מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה | malʼaḵ Yə-hō-wāh} ‘angel of the LORD’ establishes God’s agency through a heavenly envoy. The command employs the Qal imperative lekh {לֵ֚ךְ | lêkh} ‘go’ with the prepositional phrase im-ha-anashim {עִם־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | ʿim ha-ʾănāšîm} ‘with the men’, indicating accompaniment. The restrictive ve-efes {וְאֶ֗פֶס | wə-ʾefes} ‘but only’ limits permitted speech to et-hadavar {אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר | ʾet ha-dā-vār} ‘the word’, which is specified by the emphatic Piel doublet asher adaber eilekha oto tedaber {אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶיךָ אֹת֣וֹ תְדַבֵּ֑ר} ‘that I will speak to you, you shall speak it’, underscoring literal fidelity. The narrative resumes with vayelekh {וַיֵּ֥לֵךְ | wā-yē-leḵ} ‘and he went’, marking Balaam’s compliance, and closes with im-sarei balak {עִם־שָׂרֵ֥י בָלָֽק | ʿim sā-rē Bā-lāq} ‘with Balak’s princes’, situating him among Moabite leaders. |