וַיָּ֥פֶץ הָעָ֖ם בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ קַ֖שׁ לַתֶּֽבֶן׃
Opening the Scattering
Exodus 5:12 follows Pharaoh’s harsh decree that the Israelites must produce bricks without straw. No longer supplied with raw material, the people now disperse across Egypt. The verse captures this moment with only one finite verb and one infinitive — yet through this simplicity, it reveals a core Biblical Hebrew device: the infinitive of purpose. The structure compresses oppression into grammar — people scattered, motive suspended in a single infinitive. Here, syntax shows how tyranny fragments community, turns action into compulsion, and fuses movement with toil.
The Hidden Grammar
The main clause opens with a wayyiqtol verb:
וַיָּ֥פֶץ הָעָ֖ם — “And the people scattered”
וַיָּפֶץ is a **3rd person masculine singular** verb in the Qal stem from the root פּוּץ (“to scatter, disperse”). The singular form is idiomatic, treating the collective noun הָעָם (“the people”) as a unified whole. The prepositional phrase בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (“throughout all the land of Mitsrayim”) extends the scope — this isn’t disorganization; it is total national dislocation.
Then comes the purpose clause:
לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּבֶן — “to gather stubble for straw”
The infinitive construct לְקֹשֵׁשׁ (“to gather”) governs the purpose of the scattering. It’s followed by its object קַשׁ (“stubble”), and a clarifying phrase לַתֶּבֶן (“for the brick-making straw”) — indicating replacement. This is a textbook example of the infinitive construct of purpose, where action and intention collapse into a single verbal form — elegant in structure, bitter in context.
Echoes Across the Tanakh
Genesis 11:8 — וַיָּפֶץ יְהוָה אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ — “And the LORD scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth.” The same verb פּוּץ appears, but this time as divine judgment. The contrast: one dispersion is disciplinary; the other, political oppression.
1 Samuel 13:11 — כִּֽי־רָאִיתִי כִּֽי־נָפַץ הָעָם מֵעָלָי — “I saw that the people were scattering from me.” Here, scattering signals abandonment. In Exodus 5:12, it signals forced survival.
Exodus 16:4 — וְיָצָא הָעָם וְלָקְטוּ — “And the people shall go out and gather.” Though voluntary, the verb pair resembles וַיָּפֶץ and לְקֹשֵׁשׁ, reinforcing how physical movement and gathering are thematically tied in Torah’s wilderness narratives.
Syntax in Motion
[b>וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם] = “And the people scattered”
↓
[b>בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם] = “throughout all the land of Mitsrayim”
↓
[b>לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּבֶן] = “to gather stubble for straw”
The syntax flows from action (scatter) to scope (all Egypt) to motive (to gather). Hebrew expresses this causality not with explanatory particles like “because” or “so that,” but through **placement of infinitives of purpose** after the main verb. The horror of the event is amplified by its grammatical efficiency — this is slavery reduced to motion and motive.
When Words Create Worlds
The oppression of Exodus 5:12 is not in what is said but in what is not: there is no Pharaoh in this verse, no overseers, no command. Just a people, broken, moving, gathering stubble in place of straw. The infinitive construct removes agency. It shows the purpose of their scattering but not their choice. Hebrew grammar does not moralize here — it merely arranges reality so that injustice is syntactically evident.
The participatory noun הָעָם is subject, but not sovereign. The verb וַיָּפֶץ is active, but reflects a reaction, not rebellion. The infinitive לְקֹשֵׁשׁ is impersonal, silent — like the dignity stripped from laborers. This is how Hebrew records suffering: in terse structure, in quiet verbs, in grammar that moves but never lifts.
| Hebrew Feature | Description | Example from Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive Construct of Purpose | Infinitive used to express motive or aim of prior verb | לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ (Exodus 5:12) |
| Wayyiqtol Verb + Dative Range | Sequential action extended with geographical scope | וַיָּפֶץ… בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (Exodus 5:12) |
| Collective Subject with Singular Verb | Use of singular verb with collective noun to emphasize unity or control | וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם (Exodus 5:12) |
Labor Without Voice
Exodus 5:12 is not just a historical note — it is a snapshot of oppression written in infinitives. The people scatter; their purpose is stubble; their verb is toil. Biblical Hebrew captures this without embellishment. No emotion, no speech — just action, motive, and land. When Scripture tells of suffering, sometimes it is not the story that aches — but the syntax.
