| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the verb vayetzav {וַיְצַ֣ו | wa-ye-ṣav} ‘and he commanded’, using the vav-consecutive Piel imperfect to mark sequential royal decree. The subject hamelech {הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ | ha-me-lekh} ‘the king’ issues a purpose clause introduced by the infinitive construct lehotzi {לְהוֹצִיא֙ | lə-hotṣî-ʾ}, signaling removal. A string of et {אֵ֣ת | ʾet} markers introduces the objects: Chilqiyahu {חִלְקִיָּהוּ | ḥil-qî-yā-hû}, kohanei hamishneh {כֹּהֲנֵי הַמִּשְׁנֶה | kô-hă-nê ha-miš-neh} and shomrei hasaf {שֹׁמְרֵי הַסַּף | šom-rê ha-sap}. The construct phrase meheikhal yehovah {מֵהֵיכַל יְהוָ֔ה | mêt-hê-yi-kal Yə-hō-wāh} ‘from the temple of the LORD’ localizes the action. The phrase kol hakelim haasuyim laBa‘al velaasherah ulechol tseva hashamayim outlines the idols’ purpose. Two sequential verbs, vayisrefem {וַֽיִּשְׂרְפֵם | va-yi-sre-phem} ‘and he burned them’ and venasa {וְנָשָׂא | wə-nā-sāʾ} ‘and he carried’, describe destruction outside Jerusalem (mikhuts lirushalayim) in the fields of Kidron and disposal at Bethel. |