Numbers 16:44

Summary

This verse records a short narrative formula: Yehovah speaks to Moses. It introduces divine speech, though the content of that speech itself is not included in this verse.

Key words

• va ("and", H9001) — narrative vav, the standard connector that moves the story forward, linking this speech-event to what precedes.
• y'daBer ("he spoke", H1696G) — piel form of the verb "to speak," here functioning as the main narrative verb; the piel stem in this verb typically carries the basic sense of speaking without added intensity beyond the normal usage of this root.
• YHWH ("Yehovah", H3068G) — the divine name, functioning as the subject of the verb.
• el ("to", H0413) — preposition marking the recipient of the speech, here directing it "to Moses."
• leMor ("saying", H0559) — qal infinitive construct, a standard formula used to introduce reported or upcoming speech; grammatically it means "in saying" or "to say," marking the transition into direct discourse.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause follows the common narrative pattern found throughout the Pentateuch for introducing divine communication: verb (y'daBer) + subject (YHWH) + preposition with recipient (el-Mosheh) + infinitive marker (leMor, "saying"). This structure is minimal and formulaic — it does not elaborate on manner, tone, or circumstance of the speech; it simply states that the speech-event occurred and identifies its two participants, Yehovah as speaker and Moses as sole recipient in the Hebrew text.

The infinitive leMor ("saying") functions here not as a separate action but as a grammatical hinge introducing what will be spoken next (which follows in the subsequent verse, not included in this data). The sentence as given ends at this hinge point, meaning the content of Yehovah's word is withheld from this specific verse and appears afterward in the narrative sequence.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew text names only Mosheh ("Moses", H4872) as the recipient of the divine speech. The LXX (Swete text), however, reads πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ Ἀαρὼν ("to Moses and Aaron"), adding Aaron as a second recipient not present in the Hebrew wording given here. The Vulgate (Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen) and the modern translations (RV1909, BSB, SBLIBRE) align with the Hebrew in naming only Moses as the one addressed.