כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן

   ki-al-KEN

   for this reason
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן בָּ֖אוּ

   ki-al-KEN ba-U

   for this reason they came
3. clause🔊 רַ֠ק לָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵל֙ אַל־תַּעֲשׂ֣וּ דָבָ֔ר כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן בָּ֖אוּ בְּצֵ֥ל קֹרָתִֽי׃

   RAK la-a-na-SHIM ha-EL al-ta-a-SU da-VAR ki-al-KEN ba-U be-TSEL ko-ra-TI

   only to the men these do not do anything for this reason they came under the shelter of my roof
4. sentence🔊 הִנֵּה־נָ֨א לִ֜י שְׁתֵּ֣י בָנ֗וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יָדְעוּ֙ אִ֔ישׁ אוֹצִֽיאָה־נָּ֤א אֶתְהֶן֙ אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וַעֲשׂ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ן כַּטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֑ם רַ֠ק לָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵל֙ אַל־תַּעֲשׂ֣וּ דָבָ֔ר כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן בָּ֖אוּ בְּצֵ֥ל קֹרָתִֽי׃

   hi-neh-NA LI she-TE va-NOT a-SHER lo-ya-de-U ISH o-tsi-a-NA e-te-HEN a-lei-KHEM va-a-SU la-HEN ka-TOV be-ei-nei-KHEM RAK la-a-na-SHIM ha-EL al-ta-a-SU da-VAR ki-al-KEN ba-U be-TSEL ko-ra-TI

   behold please I have two daughters who have not known a man please let me bring out them to you do to them as good in your eyes only to the men these do not do anything for this reason they came under the shelter of my roof

Exegesis

Finally, the causal clause ki al-ken bau be-tsel korati {כִּי עַל־כֵּן בָּאוּ בְּצֵל קֹרָתִי | kî ʿal-kēn bā-ʾû bə-ṣēl qō-rā-ṯî} explains that the men ‘have come under the shadow of my roof’, a metaphor for the host’s protective obligation. The progression from offer to restriction to rationale underscores the tension between hospitality duty and moral collapse.