| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with a vav-consecutive verb vayetse’u {וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ | wayyēṣēʾû}, marking sequential narrative action. The construct bənê ʿammôn {בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן | bənê ʿammôn} ‘sons of Ammon’ functions as the subject, which is then qualified by the military verb wayyaʿarēḵû and its object milḥāmâ {מִלְחָמָה | milḥāmâ} ‘battle’. The locative phrase pəṭaḥ hā’ir {פֶּתַח הָעִיר | pəṭaḥ hā’ir} sets the strategic site. The relative clause ’ăšer-bā’û {אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ | ’ăšer-bā’û} ‘who had come’ modifies “the kings,” and the prepositional phrase lə-baddām indicates their separation. The final basāḏeh {בַּשָּׂדֶה | basāḏeh} ‘open field’ completes the spatial setting. The coordination of two main clauses contrasts the Ammonites’ deployment with the kings’ solitary posture. |