| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayikkach {וַיִּקַּ֨ח | wayyik-kaḥ} ‘and he took’, marking sequential action. The subject Achaz {אָחָ֜ז | ’ā-ḥāz} is a proper noun. The compound objects et-ha-kesef {אֶת־הַכֶּ֣סֶף | ’et-ha-ke-sep̄} ‘the silver’ and ve-et-ha-zahav {וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֗ב | wə-’et-ha-zā-hāḇ} ‘the gold’ are introduced by direct object markers and specified by the participle ha-nimtza {הַנִּמְצָא֙ | ha-nim-ṣāʾ}. The locative phrase beit Yahweh {בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה | bēṯ Yəhōwāh} ‘house of the LORD’ and the phrase u-ve-otzrot beit ha-melekh {וּבְאֹֽצְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | ū-ḇə-’ōṣerōt bēṯ ha-mme-lek̄} ‘in the royal treasuries’ identify the sources of the metals. The second vav-consecutive verb vayishlach {וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח | wayyiš-lāḥ} ‘and he sent’ governs shochad {שֹֽׁחַד | šō-ḥaḏ} ‘tribute’ directed le-melekh-Ashur {לְמֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֖וּר | lə-mme-lek̄-’aššûr} ‘to the king of Assyria’. The formal rendering “present” and the dynamic “payment” for shochad reflect respectively a ceremonial offering and a political transaction. |