| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses vav-consecutive Hiphil verbs to present sequential reform actions with wayyaaver {וַיַּעֲבֵר | wayya‘ăḇēr} “and he removed” followed by wayyasar {וַיָּסַר | wayyāsar} “and he took away.” The noun haqqedeshim {הַקְּדֵשִׁים | haqqĕdēšîm} denotes male cult prostitutes, indicating a purge of cultic sexual practices, while min-ha’āreṣ {מִן־הָאָרֶץ | min-ha’āreṣ} locates the action within the land. The compound et-kol-hagillulim {אֶת־כָּל־הַגִּלֻּלִים | ’et-kōl-hagillûlîm} introduces all the idols, and the relative clause asher asu avotav {אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו | ’ăšer ’āśû ’ăvōṯāw} attributes their making to previous generations, underscoring the king’s resolve against ancestral idolatry. |