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וַיַּ֥עַן אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃ 28 א֠וּלַי יַחְסְר֞וּן חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים הַצַּדִּיקִם֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה הֲתַשְׁחִ֥ית בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־כָּל־הָעִ֑יר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית אִם־אֶמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ 29 וַיֹּ֨סֶף ע֜וֹד לְדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם אַרְבָּעִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים׃ 30 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבֵּ֔רָה אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים׃

Vocabulary

Verse 27

            יאל  verb (Hiphil perfect 1cs): “undertake” (BDB, 383)

            עפר  “dust”

            אפר  “ashes” (BDB, 68)

Verse 28

            אולי  “if perhaps” (BDB, 19)

            חסר  verb: “lack, be lacking” (BDB, 341)

            שׁחת  verb (Hiphil imperfect 2ms): “ruin, destroy”

Verse 29

            יסף  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “add”

            אולי  “if perhaps” (BDB, 19)

            בעבור  “on account of” (BDB, 721)

Verse 30

            חרה  verb (Qal jussive 3ms): “burn (with anger), be angry” (BDB, 354)

            אולי  “if perhaps” (BDB, 19)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 27

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיַּ֥עַן אַבְרָהָ֖ם): V-S
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֹּאמַ֑ר): V-O
• The embedded object clause is an infinitival.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י): V-M
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י): V
• Sentence Typology 3 (וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר): S-P
• This waw + nonverb construction has a disjunctive nature, possibly best rendered by “yet.”
• GKC (141e) notes that a waw copulative connected to a verbal clause always describes a state contemporaneous to the principle action of the verbal clause (Genesis 18:1, 8, 16, 22, 27, 19:1, 25:26; Judges 13:9; 1 Samuel 1:9; 2 Samuel 4:7, 11:4).

Verse 28

• Sentence Typology 1 (א֠וּלַי יַחְסְר֞וּן חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים הַצַּדִּיקִם֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה): V-S-O
• The verb, יַחְסְר֞וּן, ends with a paragogic nun (GKC, 47m).
• Sentence Typology 2 (הֲתַשְׁחִ֥ית בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־כָּל־הָעִ֑יר): V-M-O
• The clause is initiated by an interrogative he, הֲתַשְׁחִ֥ית.
• The beth preposition, בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה, is said to be a instrumental beth, or beth instrumenti, understood as “for the sake of,” also see 1 Samuel 3:13 (GKC 119p)
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙): V-O
• The object of the verb אמר is often a direct quotation.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית): V-[O]
• The implied verbal object is עיר.
• The apodosis, לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית, of the circumstantial clause is mentioned before the protasis, אִם־אֶמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (אִם־אֶמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה): V-M-O
• The implied object is forty-five “righteous men” צדיקים.

Verse 29

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֨סֶף ע֜וֹד לְדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלָיו): V-[M:V-O]
• This clause has a compound verbal idea.  The verb, יסף, sequenced with a second verb (in this case an infinitive) means to do something again.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם אַרְבָּעִ֑ים): V-O
• The object clause is an embedded clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם אַרְבָּעִ֑ים): V-M-S
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים): V-O
• The change in speaker require the repetition of אמר.
• The object clause is an embedded clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים): V-M-O
• The verb, עשֹה, is inserted for שׁחת used in verse 28.

Verse 30

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבֵּ֔רָה אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים): V-O
• The object clause is an embedded clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙): V-M
• The negative participle, אַל, is used with a jussive.
• The verb, חרה, is apocopated losing its final root he.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (וַאֲדַבֵּ֔רָה): V
• The form and function of the verb is cohortative: “If I might speak.”
• The disjunctive accent, zaqeph parvum, links this word with the previous clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 3 (אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים): V-M-S
• The Niphal verb, יִמָּצְא֥וּן, is functioning as a passive wherein the agent is God.
• The verb ends with a paragogic nun.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים): V-O
• The object clause is an embedded clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה): V
• The verb, עשֹה, is inserted for שׁחת used in verse 28.
• As in verse 28, the apodosis, לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה, of the circumstantial clause is mentioned before the protasis, אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים): V-M-O

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