| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the wayyiqtol form vayakumu {וַיָּקֻמוּ | wayyāqumû} ‘and they arose’, advancing the story after Abraham’s meal. The locative misham {מִשָּׁם | miššām} ‘from there’ indicates departure from that spot. The definite haʾanashim {הֽ͏ָאֲנָשִׁים | hāʾănāšîm} ‘the men’ recalls the prior visitors. A second wayyiqtol in Hifil, vayashkifu {וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ | wayyašqîpû} ‘and they looked out’, emphasizes a directed gaze. The construct phrase al penei sedom {עַל־פְּנֵי סְדֹם | ʿal-pənê sədōm} ‘toward the face of Sodom’ centers on the city as their destination. The conjunction introduces veavraham {וְאַבְרָהָם | wəʾaḇrāhām} ‘and Abraham’, followed by the participle holekh {הֹלֵךְ | hōlēḵ} ‘was walking’, signaling his ongoing accompaniment. The prepositional phrase immam {עִמָּם | ʿimmām} ‘with them’ underscores solidarity, and the Piel infinitive leshalleḥām {לְשַׁלְּחָם | ləšalleḥām} ‘to send them off’ functions as a purpose clause illustrating customary honor. In translation, wayyiqtol verbs appear in simple past, and the construct phrase is rendered literally in formal and idiomatically in dynamic. |