אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי֙

   et-e-lo-HEI

   {direct object} the gods of
2. clause🔊 וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵ֨י ב֤וֹא אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ מֵֽהַכּ֣וֹת אֶת־אֲדוֹמִ֔ים וַיָּבֵ֗א אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י שֵׂעִ֔יר וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֥ם ל֖וֹ לֵאלֹהִ֑ים

   va-ye-HI a-kha-REI VO a-mats-ya-HU me-ha-KOT et-a-do-MIM va-ya-VE et-e-lo-HEI be-NEI se-IR va-ya-a-mi-DEM LO le-e-lo-HIM

   and it happened after the coming Amaziah from striking down {direct object} Edomites and he brought {direct object} the gods of the sons of Seir and he set them up for him as gods
3. sentence🔊 וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵ֨י ב֤וֹא אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ מֵֽהַכּ֣וֹת אֶת־אֲדוֹמִ֔ים וַיָּבֵ֗א אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י שֵׂעִ֔יר וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֥ם ל֖וֹ לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֥ם יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה וְלָהֶ֥ם יְקַטֵּֽר׃

   va-ye-HI a-kha-REI VO a-mats-ya-HU me-ha-KOT et-a-do-MIM va-ya-VE et-e-lo-HEI be-NEI se-IR va-ya-a-mi-DEM LO le-e-lo-HIM ve-lif-ne-HEM yish-ta-kha-VE ve-la-HEM ye-kat-TER

   and it happened after the coming Amaziah from striking down {direct object} Edomites and he brought {direct object} the gods of the sons of Seir and he set them up for him as gods and before them he would bow down and to them he would make smoke or burn incense

Exegesis

The construct chain et-elohei bnei seir {אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י שֵׂעִ֔יר | ʾeṯ-ʾĕlōhê bənê śēʿîr} ‘the gods of the sons of Seir’ identifies the objects as Edomite deities, and the reflexive lô lēʾĕlōhîm {ל֖וֹ לֵאלֹהִ֑ים | lô lēʾĕlōhîm} ‘for himself as gods’ highlights personal appropriation.