| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ben {בֶּן־ | bĕn} ‘son-of/age-of’ combined with the compound numeral shloshim ushtayim {שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֛יִם | šə-lō-šîm wə-štay-îm} and the noun shanah {שָׁנָ֖ה | šā-nāh} to mark the king’s age at accession. The subject yehoram {יְהוֹרָ֣ם | yĕ-hō-rām} is followed by the locative-temporal be-malko {בְּמָלְכ֑וֹ | bə-māl-kō}, functioning idiomatically as his accession clause. The conjunction w- introduces the duration phrase u-shmonah shanim {וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים | wə-šmo-nê ša-nîm} modifying the verb malakh {מָלַ֖ךְ | mā-lăḳ}, and the subsequent locative bi-rushalayim {בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם | bĕ-rû-šă-lā-yim} specifies the setting. The sequence foregrounds age before detailing the span and location of his reign, underscoring dynastic legitimacy. |