| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The opening vav-consecutive verb vayikod {וַיִּקֹּ֧ד | vayyiqqôḏ} ‘and he bowed down’ initiates an immediate action by the king. The object appayim {אַפַּ֖יִם | appāyim} ‘faces’, in the dual form, emphasizes full prostration toward the earth (artzah {אָרְצָה | ʼārṣâ}). The coordinated subjects wekol Yehudah weyoshvei Yerushalayim ‘all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem’ signal communal participation. The perfect verb naflu {נָֽפְלוּ֙ | nāp̄lû} ‘they fell’ indicates a single, decisive movement. The prepositional phrase lifnei {לִפְנֵ֣י | lîp̄nê} ‘before’ with Yahweh {יְהוָ֔ה | Yəhōwāh} grounds the act in divine presence, while the infinitive construct lehishtachavot {לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֖ת | ləhištaccāwôṯ} ‘to bow down in worship’ followed by laYHWH {לַיהוָֽה | la-Yəhōwāh} expresses purpose. This structure ties together royal humility and corporate worship directed toward the LORD. |