| 37. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the sequential narrative marker vayavo {וַיָּבֹא | wayyābō} ‘and he came,’ signaling the arrival of royal envoys. The list of officials—Eliakim son of Hilkiah (ben-chilqiyyāhū {בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּה | ben-ḥilqīyyāhû}), Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder—employs construct chains to denote lineage and office. The participial phrase qerūʿē begādîm {קְרוּעֵ֣י בְגָדִים | qərūʿē bǝgādîm} ‘torn garments’ functions as a ritual expression of mourning. The Hifil imperfect wayyaggîḏū {וַיַּגִּדוּ | wayyaggîḏū} ‘and they reported’ introduces the communication action, with lōʾ {ל֔וֹ | lōʾ} marking the indirect object and dibrê rabb-šāqē {דִּבְרֵי רַב־שָׁקֵה | dibrê rabb-šāqē} ‘the words of Rabshakeh’ as the direct object. English reorders the Hebrew VSO into an SVO structure for readability while preserving the official titles and ritual imagery. |