| 5. Linguistic Exegesis vayiven {וַיִּבֶן | wayyîḇēn} ‘and he built’ begins the narrative clause with the vav-consecutive imperfect to convey sequential action. The noun mizbechot {מִזְבְּחוֹת | mîzbĕḥōt} ‘altars’ functions as direct object. It is further qualified by the construct lekol tseva hashamayim {לְכָל־צְבָא הַשָּׁמָיִם | lə-kāl-ṣəḇāʾ haššāmayim} ‘to all the host of the heavens’, highlighting the scope of idolatrous worship. The phrase bishtei chatzerot {בִּשְׁתֵּי חַצְרֹות | bištê-ḥaṣrōt} employs the dual form to specify the two courts (inner and outer). Finally, beit Yahweh {בֵּית־יְהוָה | bêt-Yᵉhōwāh} ‘the house of the LORD’ indicates the sacred space now desecrated. The English rendering preserves the Hebrew construct chains and temporal sequence to maintain emphasis on profanation within the temple precincts. |