| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative unfolds through a chain of wayyiqtol verbs: vayaal {וַיַּעַל | way-yaʿal} ‘and he went up’ marks movement from Zoar (mitsoar {מִצּוֹעַר | mits-sō-ʿar}) to higher ground (bahar {בָּהָר | bā-hār}), followed by vayeshev {וַיֵּשֶׁב | way-yē-šeḇ} ‘and he settled.’ The phrase ushtey benotav imo {וּשְׁתֵּי בְנֹתָיו עִמּוֹ | û-šə-tē bə-nō-ṯāw ʿim-mô} ‘and his two daughters with him’ expands the subject. A causal clause introduced by ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for/because’ links yare {יָרֵא | yā-rēʾ} ‘he was afraid’ and lashevet {לָשֶׁבֶת | lā-še-ḇeṯ} ‘to dwell’ in Zoar, motivating the relocation. A subsequent vayeshev {וַיֵּשֶׁב | way-yē-šeḇ} ‘and he dwelt’ introduces the result clause bamearah {בַּמְּעָרָה | bam-me-ʿā-rāh} ‘in the cave,’ concluded by the appositional hu ushtey benotav {הוּא וּשְׁתֵּי בְנֹתָיו | hûʾ û-šə-tē bə-nō-ṯāw}, emphasizing the isolated refuge of Lot and his daughters. In English, the verbs appear in simple past to preserve narrative continuity, and the final repetition underscores their shared situation. |