| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with wayyaʿaṣ {וַיַּ֥עַשׂ | wayyaʿaṣ} ‘and he did’, marking narrative progression. The noun hāraʿ {הָרַ֖ע | hāraʿ} with the definite article denotes a specific evil act. The idiom bə-ʿê-nê Yə-hō-wāh {בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | bə-ʿê-nê Yə-hō-wāh} ‘in the eyes of the LORD’ establishes divine moral assessment. The next clause begins with wayyelek {וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ | wayyelek} ‘and he walked’, followed by behavior phrase bə-ḏé-reḵ ’āvîw {בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אָבִ֔יו | bə-ḏé-reḵ ’āvîw} ‘in his father’s way’, showing continuation of disobedience. The relative clause ’ăšer heḥeṭṭî {אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא | ’ăšer heḥeṭṭî} ‘which he caused to sin’ uses a hiphil verb to indicate active leading into sin, with ’et {אֶת־ | ’et} marking Yiśrāʾēl {יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | Yiśrāʾēl} as the object. The parallel vav clauses highlight the repetition of ancestral wrongdoing. |