| 14. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive perfect in ve’elisha {וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙ | wə-ʾĕ-lî-šaʿ} followed by chalah {חָלָ֣ה | ḥā-lāh} ‘became sick’, framing Elisha’s condition. The object phrase et-cholyo {אֶת־חָלְי֔וֹ | ʾet-ḥallî-yô} ‘his illness’ is marked by the accusative particle et, and the relative clause introduced by asher {אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾă-šer} ‘which’ with the imperfect yamut {יָמ֖וּת | yā-mût} ‘would die’ and locative bo {בּ֑וֹ | bō} ‘in it’ specifies the fatal nature of the disease. The sequence shifts with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayyered {וַיֵּ֨רֶד | wə-yē-red} ‘and he went down’ and the dative elav {אֵלָ֜יו | ʾē-lāv} ‘to him’, marking Joash’s descent. Emotional intensity is conveyed in vayyevekh {וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ | wə-yē-vakh} ‘and he wept’ over panav {פָּנָיו֙ | pā-nā-v} ‘his face’, linking physical proximity to grief. The speech formula in vayyomar {וַיֹּאמַ֔ר | wə-yō-mar} ‘and he said’ introduces the doubled vocative avi avi {אָבִ֣י אָבִ֔י | ʼā-vî ʼā-vî} ‘My father, my father’, emphasizing Elisha’s spiritual authority. Finally, the construct chain rechev Yisrael ufarashav {רֶ֥כֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּפָרָשָֽׁיו | re-ḥev yis-rā-ʼēl wə-pā-rā-šā-v} ‘the chariot of Israel and its horsemen’ parallels Israel’s military strength with the prophet’s protective role. |