| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayetse {וַיֵּצֵא | wə-yē-ṣēʾ} ‘and he went out’, followed by the prepositional phrase lifnei Asa {לִפְנֵי אָסָא | li-phnē ʾā-sāʾ} indicating approach toward Asa for direct address. The vav-consecutive vayyomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wə-yō-meḏ} introduces the speech. The imperative shemaʿuni {שְׁמָעוּנִי | šə-ma-ʿū-nî} ‘listen to me’ is directed to Asa and expanded by ve-khol Yehudah ū-Vinyamin {וְכָל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן | wə-ḵol yə-hū-ḏāʾ ū-bi-nyā-mîn} identifying the audience. The clause Yahweh immakhem bihyotkhem immo {יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם בִּהְיֽוֹתְכֶם עִמּוֹ | Yə-hō-wāh ʿim-mā-ḵem bi-hyə-wōt-ḵem ʿim-mō} uses an infinitive construct to express reciprocal presence. Two parallel conditionals ve-im tidreshuhu yimmatse lakhem {וְאִם־תִּדְרְשֻׁהוּ יִמָּצֵא לָכֶם | wə-ʾim ṭi-drə-šū-hū yim-mā-ṣēʾ lā-ḵem} and ve-im taazvehuhu yaazov etkhem {וְאִם־תַּעַזְבֻהוּ יַעֲזֹב אֶתְכֶם | wə-ʾim ṯa-ʿaz-bə-vū-hū ya-ʿă-ẓōḇ ʾet-ḵem} reinforce covenant reciprocity by linking conditional action to consequence. |