| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb wayyābōʾū {וַיָּבֹאוּ | wāy·yā·bō·ʾū} ‘and they entered’, signaling narrative progression. The prepositional phrase ba·bər·rîṯ {בַּבְּרִית | ba·bər·rîṯ} ‘into the covenant’ uses the definite article to denote a specific agreement. The infinitive construct lidrōš {לִדְרֹשׁ | li·ḏrōš} ‘to seek’ expresses purpose. The direct object marker ʾet followed by Yəh·wāh {יְהוָה | Yəh·wāh} ‘LORD’ highlights the intended object of pursuit. The construct phrase ʼĕ·lō·hê·ʼă·wō·ṯê·hem {אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם | ʼĕ·lō·hê·ʼă·wō·ṯê·hem} ‘God of their fathers’ establishes covenantal lineage. Finally, the parallel prepositional constructions bə·ḵāl·lə·ḇā·ḇām {בְּכָל־לְבָבָם | bə·ḵāl·lə·ḇā·ḇām} ‘with all their heart’ and ū·ḇə·ḵāl·nap̄·šām {וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁם | ū·ḇə·ḵāl·nap̄·šām} ‘and with all their soul’ employ semantic parallelism to reinforce total devotion. |