וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ

   va-yit-mah-MAH

   {And} he lingered
2. clause🔊 וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּיָד֣וֹ וּבְיַד־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּבְיַד֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו

   va-yit-mah-MAH va-ya-kha-ZI-ku ha-a-na-SHIM be-ya-DO u-ve-yad-ish-TO u-ve-YAD she-TEI ve-no-TAV be-khem-LAT Ye-ho-VAH a-LAV

   {And} he lingered the men {And they} seized by his hand and by the hand of his wife and by the hand of two his daughters by the compassion of LORD upon him
3. sentence🔊 וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּיָד֣וֹ וּבְיַד־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּבְיַד֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו וַיֹּצִאֻ֥הוּ וַיַּנִּחֻ֖הוּ מִח֥וּץ לָעִֽיר׃

   va-yit-mah-MAH va-ya-kha-ZI-ku ha-a-na-SHIM be-ya-DO u-ve-yad-ish-TO u-ve-YAD she-TEI ve-no-TAV be-khem-LAT Ye-ho-VAH a-LAV va-yo-tsi-U-hu va-ya-ni-KHU-hu mi-KHUTS la-IR

   {And} he lingered the men {And they} seized by his hand and by the hand of his wife and by the hand of two his daughters by the compassion of LORD upon him {And} they brought him out {And} they set him outside of the city

Exegesis

The verse constructs a rapid sequence of waw-consecutive verbs—vayyitmahmah {וֽ͏ַיִּתְמַהְמָהּ | wayyitmah·māh} “and he hesitated,” vayyachaziku {וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ | wayyaḥăzîqû} “and they seized,” vayotsihu {וַיֹּצִאֻ֥הוּ | wayyôṣîʾuhû} “and they brought him out,” and vayyanichuhu {וַיַּנִּחֻ֖הוּ | wayyannîḥuhû} “and they set him down”—that underscores Lot’s initial reluctance followed by immediate divine-prompted action.