What Does Leviticus 23:1 Mean in the King James?
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The root behind “spake” also gives דָּבָר (davar), “word” and “matter,” joining the voice to the substance it is about to reveal.
THE MEANING
You stand at the threshold where address becomes instruction: the LORD speaks to Moses, and the message is about to unfold. The doubled wording, “spake ... saying,” holds open the moment between hearing a voice and hearing what it says.
THE ROOT
וַיְדַבֵּר
vayedabber
GROWS FROM
ד־ב־ר
d-b-r
To speak or declare; its related noun can mean a word, matter, or thing.
The root of “spake” also appears in דָּבָר (davar), meaning “word” or “matter.” Hebrew holds the act of speaking and the subject spoken within one word-family, so the voice already points toward the matter that follows.
ALSO GROWS
davar: Word, matter, or thing.
דָּבָר
This branch joins speech to its subject: what is spoken is also the matter being opened.
dibbur: Speech or utterance.
דִּבּוּר
This branch names the act of speaking itself, keeping the verse’s moment of address visible.
לֵאמֹר
le'mor
GROWS FROM
א־מ־ר
ʾ-m-r
To say or utter.
“saying” in this verse is le'mor. The verse uses two speech verbs: first the LORD speaks, then the wording introduces what is said. Together they hold the address and its unfolding message in view.
ALSO GROWS
amar: To say or utter.
אָמַר
This is the verb behind “saying,” opening the content of the message.
imrah: An utterance or saying.
אִמְרָה
This noun carries the spoken message as something that can be heard and held.
THE PATTERN
A spoken address becomes a message that can be heard, received, and carried onward.
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:THE THREAD
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.“I will commune” translates דִּבַּרְתִּי (dibberti), from the same ד־ב־ר root as “spake.” Exodus places that speaking in a meeting; Leviticus opens with the same root as the appointed times are about to be given.
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