| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative unfolds through vav-consecutive verbs that coordinate successive actions: vayya‘ăśû {וַיַּעֲשׂוּ | wayya‘ăśû} ‘and they did’, wəṯṯā‘al {וַתַּעַל | wəṯṯā‘al} ‘and it rose’, wayya‘ammîḏû {וַיַּעֲמִידוּ | wayya‘ammîḏû} ‘and they set up’, wayya‘amməṣû-hû {וַיְאַמְּצֻהוּ | wayya‘amməṣû-hû} ‘and they strengthened it’. The subject ’ōšê hamməlāḵāh {עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה | ’ōšê hamməlāḵāh} ‘the workers of the work’ emphasizes active agency. The phrase ’ărûḵâ lamməlāḵāh {אֲרוּכָה לַמְּלָאכָה | ’ărûḵâ lamməlāḵāh} ‘repair for the work’ signals ongoing restoration. The construct chain ’ēṯ-bêṯ hā’ĕlōhîm {אֶת־בֵּ֧ית הָאֱלֹהִים | ’ēṯ-bêṯ hā’ĕlōhîm} ‘the house of God’ frames the Temple as direct object. Al-maṯkûnṯō {עַל־מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ | al-maṯkûnṯō} ‘upon its foundation’ situates the building on its original plan. English SVO order clusters subjects with verbs for clarity. |