| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The clause opens with ve-ham-malach {וְהַמַּלְאָךְ | wə·ham·mā·lā·ḥ} ‘and the messenger,’ followed by the relative clause asher-halakh liqro le-mikhayhu {אֲשֶׁר־הָלַךְ לִקְרֹא לְמִיכָיְהוּ | ʾă·šer-hā·lakh liq·rô lə·mi·khā·yê·hû} ‘who went to call Micaiah,’ indicating purpose. Dibber elav le-emor {דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר | dib·bēr ʾê·lā·yû lē·ʾō·mar} ‘spoke to him, saying’ introduces direct speech. The construct chain divrei hanneviim peh-echad tov el-hammelekh {דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים פֶּה־אֶחָד טוֹב אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ | dib·rê han·nə·vî·ʾîm pē·ʾə̆·ḥā·ḏ tōv ʾel·ham·mê·leḵ} ‘the words of the prophets with one mouth good to the king’ conveys unanimous proclamation of favor toward the monarch. The jussive expression vi-hi-na de-varekha ke-akhad mehem {וִיהִי־נָא דְבָרְךָ כְּאַחַד מֵהֶם | wî·hī·nā də·wā·re·kā kə·ʾă·ḥăḏ mê·hem} ‘and please let your word be like one of them’ issues a polite request, while ve-dibarta tov {וְדִבַּרְתָּ טּוֹב | wə·dib·bâr·tā tōv} ‘and you shall speak good’ urges conformity. The Hebrew sequence—from topic identification to unanimous declaration to entreaty—structures the messenger’s persuasive appeal. |