| 34. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect verb wayyomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} introducing Ben-Hadad’s direct speech, and the prepositional phrase elav {אֵלָיו | ʾēlāyw} marks the indirect object. The noun hearim {הֶעָרִים | heʿārı̂ym} ‘the cities’ is the object of the Hifil imperfect ’āšîw {אָשִׁיב | ʾāšîw} ‘I will restore,’ modified by the relative clause ʾăšer-lāqaḥ-āḇî {אֲשֶׁר־לָקַח־אָבִי | ʾăšer-lāqaḥ-ʾāḇı̂} ‘which my father took’ and completed by mēʾēt ʾāḇîkhā {מֵאֵת אָבִיךָ | mēʾēt ʾāḇı̂ḵā} ‘from your father.’ The coordinate particle wə introduces ḥûṣộ̄ṭ {חוּצוֹת | ḥûṣôṯ} and the Qal imperfect tāśîm {תָּשִׂים | tāśîm} ‘you shall set,’ with lᵉkha {לְךָ | lᵉḵā} marking the beneficiary “for yourself.” The comparative clause kaʾăšer-śām {כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂם | kaʾăšer-śām} ‘just as he put’ ties the promise to actions of Ben-Hadad’s father in Samaria (bᵉšōmərôn {בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן | bᵉšōmərôn}). The emphatic waʾănî {וַאֲנִי | waʾănî} ‘and I’ foregrounds Ahab’s response, introduced by babbᵉrı̂t {בַּבְּרִית | babbᵉrı̂t} ‘by the covenant,’ and the Piel imperfect ʾăšalləḥêkha {אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ | ʾăšalləḥêkha} ‘I will send you away’ indicates release. The verse concludes with the vav-consecutive chain wayyikkəraṯ-lō bᵉrı̂t wayšalləḥêhû {וַיִּכְרָת־ל֥וֹ בְרִ֖ית וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ | wayyikkəraṯ-lō bᵉrı̂t wayšalləḥêhû}, linking covenant ratification to dismissal in a typical diplomatic protocol. |