| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect in vayelekh {וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ | wayyēleḵ} ‘and he went’, marking sequential action. The proper noun Shelomoh {שְׁלֹמֹה֙ | šəlōmô} is topicalized before its verb. The place name forms a construct chain in Khamat–Zobah {חֲמָ֣ת־צוֹבָ֔ה | ḥămmāṯ-ṣōḇāh} ‘Hamath Zobah’, where the second element qualifies the region. The subsequent vav-consecutive in vayekhezak {וַיֶּחֱזַ֖ק | wayyēḥăzaq} ‘and he prevailed’ continues the sequence, with the suffix in aleyha {עָלֶֽיהָ | ʿāleyhā} ‘over it’ directly attached to indicate subjugation. English renders these vav-consecutives as “Then” and “and” to preserve narrative flow and chooses “subdued” or “conquered” to capture the force implicit in the root ח-ז-ק. |