| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive uvisnat {וּבִשְׁנַת֙ | u·vi·šen·āṯ} ‘and in the year’, marking chronological continuation. It is followed by the compound numeral šmoné ʿeśrê {שְׁמֹנֶ֣ה עֶשְׂרֵ֔ה | še·mō·né ʿe·srê} ‘eighteenth year’. The construct chain lamelekh {לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | lam·me·leḵ} ‘to the king’ + Yārōḇ‘ā́m {יָרָבְעָ֣ם | yā·rā·wā·ʿam} + ben {בֶּן־ | ben} + Nēvāṭ {נְבָ֑ט | nə·vā·ṭ} establishes the regnal designation. The verb mālaḵ {מָלַ֥ךְ | mā·laḵ} ‘he reigned’ precedes the subject ʾăbîyām {אֲבִיָּ֖ם | ʾă·bî·yām} and the prepositional phrase ʿal·yə·hū·ḏāh {עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃ | ʿal yə·hū·ḏāh} ‘over Judah’, conveying territorial dominion. The Hebrew verb–subject–object order is rendered in English subject–verb–object to reflect standard syntax while preserving the source clause relationships. |