| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The dialogue is structured by repeated wayyōmer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, which marks each speech turn. Ahab’s initial question uses bə-mî {בְּמִ֔י | bə-mî} ‘by whom’, immediately followed by the prophet’s kôh-’āmar {כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר | kôh-’āmar} ‘thus said’, signaling the divine oracle. The construct chain bə-na‘ărê śārê hammedînôt {בְּנַעֲרֵ֖י שָׂרֵ֣י הַמְּדִינ֑וֹת | bə-na‘ărê śārê hammedînôt} ‘young men of the princes of the provinces’ links three nouns to emphasize the group’s composition. The second inquiry mî-ye’ĕsôr hammilḥāmâ {מִֽי־יֶאְסֹ֥ר הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | mî-ye’ĕsôr hammilḥāmâ} ‘who will bind the battle’ highlights divine control over warfare. The formal version preserves Hebrew syntax for precision, while the dynamic renders the sequence idiomatically for readability. |