| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vayyiqanneu {וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ | va-yiy-qan-nə-ʾû} ‘and they humbled themselves,’ utilizing the vav-consecutive + Nifal imperfect to signal sequential reflexive action. The coordinated subjects serei-Yisrael {שָׂרֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | śā-rê yis-ra-ʾêl} and ve-hamelekh {וְהַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | wə-ham-me-leḵ} underscore joint agency. Vav-consecutive in vayyomeru {וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ | va-yō-ʾə-rû} ‘and they said’ maintains narrative progression. In the clause tsaddiq Yahweh {צַדִּ֥יק יְהוָֽה | ṣad-dîq yə-hō-wāh}, the adjective precedes the divine name, heightening the attribute before the subject—a structure reversed in English to preserve clarity. |