וְנִגַּ֨שׁ מֹשֶׁ֤ה לְבַדֹּו֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְהֵ֖ם לֹ֣א יִגָּ֑שׁוּ וְהָעָ֕ם לֹ֥א יַעֲל֖וּ עִמֹּֽו׃
And Moshe shall approach alone to YHWH, but they shall not approach, and the people shall not go up with him.
Explanation of Feature
In Exodus 24:2, the contrast between verb forms in the yiqtol (imperfect) conjugation highlights future or modal negation, as well as restricted agency.
The main verb וְנִגַּשׁ (ve-niggash) is a wayyiqtol form of the verb נָגַשׁ (to approach), marking it as a sequential or narrative action. It signals what Moshe will do, i.e., “Moshe shall approach.”
In contrast, the verbs יִגָּשׁוּ (yiggashu) and יַעֲלוּ (yaʿalu) are yiqtol forms used here with the negative particle לֹא to express prohibition or negated future actions: “they shall not approach,” “the people shall not go up.”
Examples from Exodus 24:2
| Form | Parsing | Translation | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִגַּשׁ | Wayyiqtol, Niphal, 3ms | And he shall approach | Narrative or sequential action (Moshe) |
| לֹא יִגָּשׁוּ | Yiqtol, Niphal, 3mp + לֹא | they shall not approach | Prohibition for “they” (likely elders) |
| לֹא יַעֲלוּ | Yiqtol, Qal, 3mp + לֹא | they shall not go up | Further restriction on the people |
Related Grammatical Insight
– The wayyiqtol form (e.g., וְנִגַּשׁ) typically expresses past or sequential narrative action but in contexts like this can refer to prospective instructions.
– The yiqtol form when negated with לֹא is often used for prohibitions or futures not allowed.
– Contrastive structure: This verse contrasts Moshe’s permitted action with the people’s forbidden action, reinforcing hierarchical access to the divine.
This balance between permitted approach and prohibited ascent underlines the sanctity of the encounter and the separation between Moshe and the rest of the Israelites.
