| 34. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with veyeter {וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ | wə-yĕṭer} ‘and the remainder’, an editorial marker introducing a summary of unrecorded deeds. The construct phrase divrei Yehoshaphat {דִּבְרֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָ֔ט | ḏibrê Yəhôšāp̄āṭ} ‘words of Jehoshaphat’ employs a plural construct to denote a record of acts. The paired adjectives harishonim veha’acharonim {הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים וְהָאַחֲרֹנִ֑ים | hārîšônîm wə-hāʾaḥaronîm} ‘the first and the last’ form a merism encompassing his entire reign. Hinnam ketuvim {הִנָּ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים | hinnām kəṯūwîm} ‘behold, they are written’ functions as an emphatic passive participle, certifying the record’s authenticity. The source citation bedivrei Yehu ben-Chanani {בְּדִבְרֵי יֵה֣וּא בֶן־חֲנָ֔נִי | bə-ḏibrê Yēhûʾ ben-ḥănānî} ‘in the words of Jehu son of Hanani’ refers to an external chronicle. The relative clause asher ho'alah {אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֹֽעֲלָ֔ה | ʾăšer hōʿālāh} ‘which he brought up’ uses a Hiphil perfect to indicate causative inclusion. Finally, al-sefer malkê Yisrael {עַל־סֵ֖פֶר מַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | ʿal-sēfer malkê Yiśrāʾēl} ‘on the book of the kings of Israel’ identifies the archival repository and its contents. This sequence (editorial introduction, source citation, archival notation) typifies the Chronicler’s historiographical style. |