| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav consecutive clause vayehi {וַיְהִ֤י | wayəhî} ‘and it was’, signaling continuity. The term ittam {אִתָּם֙ | ʾittām} ‘with them’ marks accompaniment. The locative beveit {בְּבֵ֣ית | bə-bêṯ} ‘in the house of’ and the noun ha-elohim {הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | hāʾĕlōhîm} ‘God’ situate the subject within the sanctuary. The participle mitchabbei {מִתְחַבֵּ֖א | mitḥabbêʾ} ‘hiding’ expresses ongoing concealment, quantified by the numeral phrase shesh shanim {שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים | šēš šānîm} ‘six years’. The concurrent v’atalyah molekhet {וַעֲתַלְיָ֖ה מֹלֶ֥כֶת | vaʿaṭalyāh mōlekhet} ‘and Athaliah reigning’ describes her rule, and the prepositional phrase al ha-aretz {עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | ʿal hāʾāreṣ} ‘over the land’ defines its scope. The coordination of vav consecutives and participles preserves overlapping events in English. |