| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive vayye’asef {וַיֵּֽאָסֵ֞ף | vay-yē’ā-sēp}, a Niphal imperfect that sets a collective, semi-passive tone for the gathering. The phrase kol-’îš yiśrā’ēl {כָּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל | kol-’îš yiś-rā’ēl} combines a construct phrase with the name Israel to express full national participation. The directional unit ’el-hā-‘îr {אֶל־הָעִיר | ʾel-hā-‘îr} marks “to the city,” situating the assembly. The idiom kə-’îš ʾeḥāḏ {כְאִישׁ אֶחָד | kə-’îš ʾeḥāḏ} literally “like one man” emphasizes unwavering unity. Finally, ḥă-vê-rîm {חֲבֵרִים | ḥă-vê-rîm} “companions” conveys close alliance. This sequence—verb + construct phrase + prepositional unit + idiomatic simile + plural noun—builds a forceful image of corporate solidarity. English preserves the passive nuance in “were gathered” and the idiomatic force in “as one.” |