| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive verb vayekatteru {וַיְקַטְּרוּ | wayəqaṭṭərû} ‘and they burned incense’, signaling a narrative progression. The locative phrase bechol bamot {בְּכָל־בָּמוֹת | bə-ḵāl bāmôṯ} ‘in all the high places’ emphasizes the widespread nature of the act. The simile introduced by kagoyim {כַּגּוֹיִם | ka-gôyim} ‘like the nations’ frames this worship as imitation of foreign practices. The relative clause asher heglah Yahweh mipneihem {אֲשֶׁר־הֶגְלָה יְהוָה מִפְּנֵיהֶם | ʾăšer hēgəlāh Yəhōwāh mippenêhem} ‘whom the LORD had exiled from before them’ uses the Hiphil perfect to recall prior divine judgment. A second vav-consecutive clause wayyaʿăśū dvarim rāʿîm {וַיַּעַשׂוּ דְּבָרִים רָעִים | wayyaʿăśū dəbārîm rāʿîm} ‘and they did evil things’ summarizes moral failure, and the infinitive lehakhʿis {לְהַכְעִיס | ləhaqqaʿîs} ‘to anger’ with the direct object marker et Yahweh emphasizes deliberate provocation of the divine. This structure underscores covenant infidelity and covenantal consequences. |