| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with wayechal {וַיְחַ֥ל | way·ḥal} ‘he sought favor’, a Piel verb in vav-consecutive form that intensifies Jehoahaz’s appeal. The construction ’et pə-nê Yahweh {אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | ’et pə-nê yə-hō-wāh} uses the direct-object marker with a construct chain to mean “seek the presence of the LORD,” foregrounding a personal-encounter idiom. The narrative moves on with wayyishma‘ {וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע | way-yiš-ma‘} ‘he listened’, a Qal verb in vav-consecutive that restates Yahweh as active subject. A double kî linkage (kî… kî-la-ḥaṣ {כִּ֤י… כִּֽי־לָחַ֥ץ | kî… kî-la-ḥaṣ}) creates a causal sequence: first God’s perception (rā’â {רָאָה֙ | rā-’â} ‘he saw’) of la-ḥaṣ {לַ֣חַץ | la-ḥaṣ} ‘oppression’, then identification of the agent, the king of Aram, who pressed them. In English, “for” and “since” render the two kî clauses to preserve explanatory nuance. The shift from Piel to Qal and the repeated conjunctions underscore the responsive dynamic between human plea and divine action. |