| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with wayyiqbotz {וַיִּקְבֹּץ | wă-yīq-bōṣ} ‘and he gathered’, using the vav-consecutive to advance the story. The direct-object-marker eth {אֶת | ēṯ} introduces hanneviim {הַנְּבִיאִים | hannəḇîʼîm} ‘the prophets’, which is quantified by the cardinal phrase arba meot ish {אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ | ʼarbaʿ mēʾôṯ ʾîš} ‘four hundred men’. The interrogative hanelekh {הֲנֵלֵךְ | hă-nēlēḵ} ‘shall we go’ poses the initial query, balanced by the alternative ehdal {אֶחְדָּל | ʾeḥdāl} ‘shall I cease’ introduced by im {אִם | ʾim}. In their response, the imperative ale {עֲלֵה | ʿălē} ‘go up’ is followed by veyitten {וְיִתֵּן | wəyittēn} ‘and he will give’ with haelohim {הָאֱלֹהִים | hāʼĕlōhîm} as the subject. The idiom beyad hamelek {בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ | bə-yād hamelek} ‘into the king’s hand’ conveys divine bestowal of power. The parallel clauses mirror the Hebrew structure, preserving the emphatic alternation between proposal and assurance. |