| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunctive vav in ve-habbamot {וְהַבָּמוֹת | wə-habbā-môṯ} ‘the high places,’ linking back to the preceding passage. The negated perfect lo-sārû {לֹא־סָרוּ | lō-śārû} ‘were not removed’ asserts continuance, with mi-yisrāʾēl {מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל | mî-yis-rā-ʾēl} ‘from Israel’ delimiting the community. The restrictive particle rāq {רַק | rāq} ‘only’ introduces a concessive contrast. In the second clause, the construct lə-ḇaḇ-ʾā-sāʾ {לְבַב־אָסָא | lə-ḇaḇ ʾā-sāʾ} ‘Asa’s heart’ functions as subject with hā-yāh {הָיָה | hā-yāh} ‘was’ linking to the predicate adjective šā-lēm {שָׁלֵם | šā-lēm} ‘whole,’ temporally qualified by kāl-yā-māw {כָּל־יָמָיו | kāl-yā-māw} ‘all his days.’ This structure contrasts collective idolatry with individual faithfulness. |