| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive Hiphil verb vayyamlikhu {וַיַּמְלִיכוּ | vayyamliḵu} ‘and they enthroned’, which introduces the act of installation. Its subject is the participle yoshvei yerushalayim {יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם | yôšəḇê yerûšālayim} ‘inhabitants of Jerusalem’. The direct object is marked by et-akhazyahu {אֶת־אֲחַזְיָהוּ | ’ăḥazyāhû}, and beno hakkatôn {בְּנוֹ הַקָּטֹן | bênô hakkāṭōn} ‘his youngest son’ specifies the new king. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} introduces a causal clause in which haggedud haba {הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא | haggəḏûd habbāʼ} ‘the troop that came’ is modified by ba‘arvim lamachane {בָּעַרְבִים לַמַּחֲנֶה | baˈarvîm lammaḥănê} ‘with the Arabs to the camp’; the Qal perfect harag {הָרַג | hā-rāg} ‘had killed’ predicates over harishonim {הָרִאשֹׁנִים | hārîšônîm} ‘the older sons’. The final vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayimloch {וַיִּמְלֹךְ | vayyimlāḵ} ‘and he began to reign’ returns to the main narrative, followed by the name phrase akhazyahu ben-yehoram melekh yehudah {אֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה | ’ăḥazyāhû ben-Yehôrām meleḳ Yehûḏāh} to specify his identity and title. |