| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the summary expression veyeter {וְיֶ֣תֶר | וָּיֶ֣תֶר} ‘the remaining’, introducing a concluding notice. It features the construct chain kol divrei Āsāʾ {כָּל־דִּבְרֵי־אָסָא | kol dib·rê Ā-sāʾ} ‘all the acts of Asa’, where the repeated vav-kol…asher-ʿā·śāh sequence emphasizes the fullness of his deeds. The phrase wehe‘arim asher banah {וְהֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה | wə-hē-ʿā-rîm ă-šer bā-nāh} ‘and the cities which he built’ extends this summary. A negative interrogative halo hemmah ketuvim {הֲלֹֽא־הֵ֣מָּה כְתוּבִים | hă-lōʾ he-mmāh kə-ṭû-wîm} ‘are they not recorded’ frames a rhetorical question affirming official documentation. The prepositional phrase al sefer dibrei hayyamim lemalchei Yehudah {עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה | ʿal-sê-per dib·rê hay-yā-mîm lə-mal-khê Yə-hū-dāh} specifies this source. The adverb rak {רַק | rak} ‘yet’ introduces the temporal clause le‘et ziknato chalah {לְעֵת זִקְנָת֔וֹ חָלָה | lə-ʿêt zik-nā-tô cha-lāh} ‘when he was old, he became diseased’, where et raglav {אֶת־רַגְלָיו | ēt rag-lāv} identifies the afflicted body part. The cumulative list, rhetorical question, and temporal contrast preserve the Hebrew narrative’s structure and emphasis on official record juxtaposed with personal decline. |