| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vayakem {וַיָּקֶם | wa-yā-qêm} ‘and he erected’, a vav-consecutive Hiphil imperfect verb marking sequential narrative progression. The noun mizbeach {מִזְבֵּחַ | miz-be-ḥaḥ} ‘altar’ takes the prepositional phrase labaal {לַבָּעַל | la-bā-ʿal}, indicating dedication. The construct chain beit habaal {בֵּית הַבַּעַל | bêṯ ha-ba-ʿal} ‘house of Baal’ functions genitively to specify the structure. The relative clause asher banah {אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה | ʾă-šer bâ-nāh} ‘which he built’ links the installation to its founder. The phrase beshomron {בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן | bə-šom-rôn} ‘in Samaria’ situates the act in the northern kingdom’s capital. English preserves the Hebrew’s head-initial relative clause by maintaining the sequence of construction, location, and cultic purpose. |