| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayomer {וַיֹּ֜אמֶר | wayyōmer} introducing speech. The construct phrase melekh yisra’el {מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | meleḵ Yisrāʾēl} and melekh yeḥūdāh {מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה | meleḵ Yᵉhūdāh} identify the speakers. The interrogative imperfect hatēlēkh {הֲתֵלֵ֥ךְ | həṯēlēḵ} with the suffix ʿimmî {עִמִּ֖י | ʿimmî} forms an invitation to accompany. The reply’s chiastic structure—kāmōnî {כָּמ֤וֹנִי | kāmōnî}, kāmōḵā {כָמ֙וֹךָ֙ | kāmōḵā}, ū-ʿamməḵā {וּכְעַמְּךָ֣ | ū-ʿamməḵā}, ʿammî {עַמִּ֔י | ʿammî}, wə-ʿimməḵā {וְעִמְּךָ֖ | wə-ʿimməḵā}—affirms mutual support. The prepositional phrase ba-milḥāmāh {בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה | ba-milḥāmāh} specifies the military context. |