| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative opens with the vav-consecutive prefix on wayya'asu {וַיַּעֲשׂוּ | wayya‘ăśû} ‘and they did’ and on wayyiqḥû {וַיִּקְחוּ | wayyiqḥû} ‘and they took,’ coordinating the actions of ha-leviyim {הַלְוִיִּם | haləwiyyîm} ‘the Levites’ alongside ve-kol yehûdāh {וְכָל־יְהוּדָה | wə-kol yĕhûdāh} ‘all Judah.’ The relative clause kə-kōl 'asher tsivvāh {כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה | kə-kōl 'asher tsivvāh} ‘according to all that he commanded’ defines their strict obedience to yᵉhôyādā‘ ha-kōhēn {יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן | yᵉhôyādā‘ hak-kōhēn}. The participial pair bā’ê haš-šabbāṯ {בָּאֵי הַשַׁבָּת | bā’ê haš-šabbāṯ} ‘those coming on the Sabbath’ and yōṣə’ê haš-šabbāṯ {יוֹצְאֵי הַשַׁבָּת | yōṣə’ê haš-šabbāṯ} ‘those going out on the Sabbath’ establishes the temple service rotation. The phrase kî lō pāṭar {כִּי לֹא פָטַר | kî lō pāṭar} ‘for he did not release’ with 'et ha-maḥləqōṯ {אֶת־הַמַּחְלְקוֹת | 'et ha-maḥləqōṯ} ‘the divisions’ underscores that no shift was excused. |