| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the wayyiqtol verb vayifnu {וַיִּפְנ֤וּ | wayyipnû} ‘and they turned’, followed by the adverb misham {מִשָּׁם֙ | miššām} ‘from there’, marking a narrative shift as the visitors reorient away from Abraham’s location. The definite noun phrase ha’anashim {הֽ͏ָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים | hāʾănāšîm} ‘the men’ refers to previously introduced heavenly visitors. A second wayyiqtol, vayelchu {וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ | wayyēlekû} ‘and they went’, advances the storyline toward sedomah {סְדֹמָה | səḏōmāh} ‘toward Sodom’. The clause ve-Avraham odennu omed {וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם עוֹדֶ֥נּוּ עֹמֵ֖ד | wəʾaḇrāhām ʿôdennû ʿōmēḏ} contrasts Abraham’s continued posture with their departure, using odennu ‘still he’ plus participle omed ‘standing’ to convey durative persistence. The prepositional phrase lifnei Yahweh {לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה | lip̄nê Yəhōwāh} ‘before the LORD’ situates Abraham in God’s presence, setting the stage for the forthcoming intercession. In English, wayyiqtol verbs are rendered with simple past forms (“turned,” “went,” “remained”) to preserve narrative flow, while omed’s participial nuance is maintained with “remained standing.” |