| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with az {אָז | ʾāz} ‘then’, a temporal marker. The Niphal imperfect yeḥāleq {יֵחָלֵק | yē-ḥā-lēq} ‘were divided’ conveys a passive action on the subject hā-ʿām yīs-rā-ʾēl {הָעָם יִשְׂרָאֵל | hā-ʿā-m yīs-rā-ʾēl} ‘the people of Israel’. The paired phrase la-ḥē-ṣî ḥa-ṣî {לַחֵצִי חֲצִי | la-ḥē-ṣî ḥa-ṣî} ‘into half, half’ expresses partition, echoed by the construct ḥa-ṣî hā-ʿām {חֲצִי הָעָם | ḥa-ṣî hā-ʿā-m} ‘half the people’. The preposition ʾa-ḥă-rê {אַחֲרֵי | ʾa-ḥă-rê} ‘following’ governs tiv-nî {תִבְנִי | tiv-nî} and ʿam-rî {עָמְרִי | ʿam-rî}, indicating allegiance. The infinitive construct lə-ha-mlî-ḵô {לְהַמְלִיכוֹ | lə-ha-mlî-ḵô} ‘to make him king’ marks purpose, and wə-ha-ḥa-ṣî {וְהַחֲצִי | wə-ha-ḥa-ṣî} ‘and the half’ restores the second faction, underscoring the national split. |