Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter_Kirk AT sil.org]

I wonder if you discourse types can comment on the type of discourse 
found in Numbers 3:17-39. This seems to be characterised by almost no 
finite verbs, just a few participles and the only finite verbs (except 
for a few in subordinate clauses) are wayyihyu (wayyiqtol form) at the 
very beginning; three occurences of yaxanu (yiqtol form) in verses 23, 
29, 35; and yumat (yiqtol form) in verse 38. Chapter 2, from verse 2 
on, is similar, but there is a speech introducer in verse 1 (though 
NIV closes the quotation marks at the end of verse 2. In chapter 3, 
however, there is no speech introducer after the narrative verse 16.

My question with this passage from chapter 3, especially from verse 21 
on: is this intended to be description by the narrator of what 
happened habitually in the desert, or prediction by Moses or the 
narrator of what would happen in the future, or prescription by YHWH, 
with an implied "YHWH said to Moses" at verse 21 as in verse 40? 
English translations seem confused, mixing "was" description forms and 
"was to" prescription forms; but our draft translation uses a simple 
future like "will". What can anyone recommend?

Peter Kirk