| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayhi {וַיְהִ֕י | va-yə-hî}, a vav-consecutive Qal imperfect that frames the narrative time. The temporal infinitive construct ke-hishafet {כְּהִשָּׁפֵ֥ט | kə-hiš-šā-pêṭ} denotes a concurrent act of judgment. The compound prepositional construct im-beit Achav {עִם־בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב | ʿim-bêt ʼAḥ-ʼāḇ} situates Jehu’s action within Ahab’s dynasty. The direct object marker et introduces the definite noun phrases sarei Yehudah {שָׂרֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה | śā-rê Yə-hû-dāh} and u-bnei achei Achazyahu {וּבְנֵ֨י אֲחֵ֧י אֲחַזְיָ֛הוּ | wə-bənê ʼă-ḥê ʼaḥ-a-zyā·hû}, both further specified by the participial clause meshartim la-Achazyahu {מְשָׁרְתִ֥ים לַאֲחַזְיָ֖הוּ | mə-šā-rə-tîm la-ʼaḥ-a-zyā·hû}. The final vav-consecutive imperfect va-yahargem {וַיַּהַרְגֵֽם | va-ya-har-gêm} binds all prior objects under Jehu’s decisive act of killing. |