עָלָ֑יו

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עָלָ֑יו

   a-LAV

   upon him
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 construct phrase bechemlat YHWH alav {בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו | bə-ḥem-laṯ Yə-hō-wāh ʿālāyw} “in the compassion of the LORD upon him” anchors the narrative in divine mercy as the motive for the angels’ forceful deliverance.