| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative employs the vav-consecutive, with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’ introducing each speech turn. The proper noun amatsyahu {אֲמַצְיָהוּ | ʾămātsyāhû} identifies the speaker in the first question, and the title ish haelohim {אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים | ʾîš hāʾĕlōhîm} ‘man of God’ stands in a construct relationship. The indirect question features the infinitive clause umahlasot {וּמַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת | wə-mah-la‘āśôt} ‘and what to do’, reflecting Hebrew verb-first ordering. The numeral–unit phrase limeat hakkikar {לִמְאַת הַכִּכָּר | limᵊʾāt ha-kikkār} ‘a hundred talents’ links the cardinal numeral with its measure noun, while the relative clause asher natati {אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי | ʾăšer nāṭattî} ‘that I have given’ specifies the object. In the reply, the existential yesh {יֵשׁ | yēš} ‘there is’ precedes the divine name layhwh {לַיהוָה | la-yə-hô-wāh} ‘the LORD’, creating emphasis, and the infinitival purpose clause latet lekha harbeh mizeh {לָתֶת לְךָ הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה | lāṯēṯ lə-kā harbē mizzeh} ‘to give you much more than this’ preserves the beneficiary and comparative construction. The repetition of vayomer frames a dialogic inclusio, accentuating the contrast between human outlay and divine bounty. |