| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vehabbamot {וְהַבָּמ֖וֹת | wə-habbāmōt} ‘and the high places’ as the subject. The negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} negates saru {סָ֑רוּ | sā-rū}, while the restrictive particle rak {רַ֣ק | raq} sets up a contrast with Asa’s devotion. The construct phrase levav-Asa {לְבַב־אָסָא | lə-vav ʾāsā} ‘heart of Asa’ serves as the subject of a nominal clause where hayah {הָיָה | hā-yāh} ‘was’ takes the adjective shalem {שָׁלֵם | shā-lēm} ‘whole’ as its complement. The prepositional phrase im Yahweh {עִם־יְהוָה | ʿim Yə-hō-wāh} marks the object of devotion, and the construct kol-yamav {כָּל־יָמָיו | kol yā-māw} expresses temporal extent. The juxtaposition of clauses preserves the Hebrew contrast between the persistence of the high places and Asa’s undivided heart. |