וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ (Exodus 4:30)
And Aharon spoke all the words which YHWH had spoken to Moshe and he did the signs before the eyes of the people
Introduction: Transmitting Authority Through Verbs
This verse narrates the moment Aharon becomes Moshe’s spokesperson before the people of Israel. It includes verbal forms that don’t just report speech and action but mirror divine transmission, human obedience, and visual demonstration. Each verb operates within a carefully chosen binyan, communicating the flow of revelation to representation. Let’s explore how the Piel, Qal, and Hiphil stems function in this verse.
Key Verbs and Their Binyanim
1. וַיְדַבֵּר — “he spoke”
2. דִּבֶּר — “had spoken”
3. וַיַּעַשׂ — “he did”
1. וַיְדַבֵּר — Piel, Imperfect with Vav-Consecutive, 3ms
Root: דָּבַר (to speak)
Binyan: Piel
Voice: Active, Intensive
Morphology:
– Prefix וַיְ־: Vav-consecutive
– Dagesh in the second radical (בּ): indicator of Piel
– Conjugated for 3rd person masculine singular
Why Piel?
– The verb דָּבַר only appears in Piel in biblical Hebrew.
– Piel in this case intensifies the declarative force—Aharon is not chatting, but formally proclaiming YHWH’s words.
– It signals prophetic or judicial speech—appropriate for relaying divine command.
2. דִּבֶּר — Piel, Perfect, 3ms
Function:
– This refers to YHWH’s prior speech to Moshe.
– Also in Piel, reinforcing that God’s words were not casual—they carried authority and force.
– The repetition of the same binyan connects God’s speech and Aharon’s repetition—a rhetorical echo emphasizing faithful transmission.
3. וַיַּעַשׂ — Qal, Imperfect with Vav-Consecutive, 3ms
Root: עָשָׂה (to do, make)
Binyan: Qal
Voice: Active
Interpretation:
– The Qal stem is the simple, direct expression of action.
– Aharon did the signs—not exaggerated, not causative—just faithful execution.
– In contrast to the Piel speech verbs, this Qal action verb suggests humility and obedience: he does what he was told, nothing more, nothing less.
Visual Comparison of the Binyanim
| Verb | Root | Binyan | Voice | Action | Narrative Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּר | דבר | Piel | Active/Intensive | He proclaimed | Prophetic speech to Israel |
| דִּבֶּר | דבר | Piel | Active/Intensive | He had spoken | Divine origin of the message |
| וַיַּעַשׂ | עשה | Qal | Active | He did | Obedient execution of signs |
When Grammar Echoes Divine Order
This verse forms a chain of transmission:
– YHWH (Piel) speaks to Moshe.
– Aharon (Piel) speaks to the people.
– Then Aharon (Qal) acts out the signs.
The shift from intensive verbal binyanim to simple active doing shows that faithful communication of divine will is followed by obedient execution. The binyanim quietly model a theology of faithful mediation—first hear, then speak, then act.
This is grammar as covenantal chain—linking heaven to earth, word to deed.
