| 7. Linguistic Exegesis vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | va-yō-mér} ‘and he said’ introduces direct speech. The subject melech-yisrael {מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל | mé-lekh yi-srā-ʾēl} followed by el-yehoshaphat {אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט | ʾel yĕ-hō-šā-pāṭ} marks speaker and addressee. The adverb od {עוֹד | ʿōd} signals continuation, and lidrosh et-yehovah meoto {לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָה מֵאֹתוֹ | li-drōsh ʾet Yə-hō-wāh mē-ʾō-tō} forms an infinitive clause of seeking divine counsel. The phrase va-ani snetihu {וַאֲנִי שְׂנֵאתִיהוּ | va-ʾă-nî sə-nē-ʾtī-hū} conveys the king’s personal sentiment, while the Hitpael participle mitnabe {מִתְנַבֵּא | mit-nab-bēʾ} denotes ongoing prophecy (or its absence). The coordinated expressions alai letovah {עָלַי לְטוֹבָה | ʿā-lāy lə-ṭō-vāh} and kol-yamav lerah {כִּי־כָל־יָמָיו לְרָעָה | kî-kol-yā-māv lə-rā-ʿāh} contrast anticipated blessing with persistent harm. The naming mikhayhu ben-yimlah {מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָא | mî-khā-yə-hū ben yim-lāʾ} and the warning al-yomar hamelech ken {אַל־יֹאמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּן | ʾal yō-mar ham-mé-lekh kēn} frame the tension between the ruler and the lone prophet. |