| 34. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses vav-consecutive verbs to depict ongoing disobedience: wayya'as {וַיַּ֥עַשׂ | wayya·ʿaś} “and he did” and wayya-lekh {וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ | wayyā·lēḵ} “and he walked,” creating narrative momentum. The idiomatic phrase bə’ê-nay Yahweh {בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | bə·’ê·nay Yə·hō·wāh} indicates divine appraisal, while the construct chain bə-de-rekh yā-rā-ḇō-‘am {בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֔ם | bə·de·reḵ yā·rā·ḇō·‘ām} marks imitation of Jeroboam’s behavior. The conjunction ū in ū-bə-ḥaṭ-tā-ṯō {וּבְ֨חַטָּאת֔וֹ | ū·bə·ḥaṭ·tā·ṯō} integrates his sin with Jeroboam’s example. The Hiphil perfect he-ḥe-ṭî-’ā {הֶחֱטִ֖יא | he·ḥe·ṭî·’ā} “he caused to sin” establishes causation, with ’ĕṯ {אֶת־ | ’ĕṯ} highlighting Israel as the object and yiś-rā-’ēl {יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yiś·rā·’ēl} identifying the people affected. |