| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayivnu {וַיִּבְנוּ | wayyibənû} ‘and they built’, which signals a resumption of narrative action. The adverb gam {גַם | gam} ‘also’ intensifies the addition to previous practices. The reflexive prepositional lahem {לָהֶם | lāhem} ‘for themselves’ highlights personal initiative in establishing cultic sites. The series of direct objects bamot {בָּמוֹת | bāmôṯ} ‘high places’, matzevot {מַצֵּב֖וֹת | maṣṣēḇōṯ} ‘pillars’, and Asherim {אֲשֵׁרִים | ʾăšērîm} ‘Asherah poles’ enumerates distinct ritual installations. The spatial phrases al kol-givʿah {עַל כָּל־גִּבְעָה | ʿal kol-giḇʿāh} ‘on every hill’ and vetachat kol-ets raʿanan {וְתַחַת כָּל־עֵץ רַעֲנָן | wə-taḥat kol-ʿeṣ raʿănān} ‘and under every green tree’ employ repeated prepositions to convey thorough pervasiveness. English rendering preserves this sequence and spatial scope to reflect the Hebrew’s emphatic breadth. |