| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayyatsivu {וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ | wayyaṣṣîḇû} ‘and they set up,’ a vav-consecutive Qal imperfect that marks sequential narrative action. The reflexive pronoun in lāhem {לָהֶם | lāhem} ‘for themselves’ highlights intentional cultic practice. The coordinated plural objects matsevot {מַצֵּב֖וֹת | maṣṣēḇōṯ} ‘standing-stones’ and waʾăšērîm {וַאֲשֵׁרִים | waʾăšērîm} ‘Asherah poles’ specify distinct idolatrous installations. Parallel prepositional phrases ʿal kol-givʿāh gevōhāh {עַל כָּל־גִּבְעָה גְבֹהָה | ʿal kol-givʿāh gevōhāh} ‘on every high hill’ and wəṭaḥat kol-ʿēṣ raʿănān {וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן | wəṭaḥat kol-ʿēṣ raʿănān} ‘and under every green tree’ employ construct chains and chiastic parallelism to convey the comprehensive spread of cultic sites. |