| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the sequential action marked by the vav-consecutive vayiven {וַיִּבֶן | wayyīben} ‘and he built,’ which propels the account. The construct phrase arei metsôrâ {עָרֵי מְצוֹרָה | ʿāre metsôrâ} ‘cities of fortification’ emphasizes Judah’s defensive infrastructure. The causal clause kî shaqṭāh hā’āreṣ {כִּי־שָׁקְטָה הָאָרֶץ | kî shaqṭāh hā’āreṣ} ‘because the land was at rest’ uses a perfect verb to indicate completed peace. The coordination wə’ên ʿimmô milḥāmâ {וְאֵין עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה | wə’ên ʿimmô milḥāmâ} ‘and there was no war with him’ presents a state of non-conflict. The temporal phrase baššanîm hā’ēlleh {בַּשָּׁנִים הָאֵלֶּה | baššanîm hā’ēlleh} ‘in these years’ frames the duration. Finally, kî hēnîyaḥ Yəhōwāh lō {כִּי־הֵנִיחַ יְהוָה לֽוֹ | kî hēnîyaḥ Yəhōwāh lō} ‘for the LORD gave him rest’ employs a Hiphil perfect to attribute peace to divine agency, sustaining the cause-and-effect structure. |