King James Version

Genesis 19:20

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

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Hebrew

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הִנֵּהhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.נָ֠אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.הָעִ֨ירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.הַזֹּ֧אתhazotthe thisזֹאתdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “the this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.קְרֹבָ֛הqerovahnearקָרוֹבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “near”, the ordinary formH7138near (in place, kindred or time)allied, approach, at hand, [phrase] any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly).לָנ֥וּסlanusto awayנוּסpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to away”, the to-form of the verbH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.שָׁ֖מָּהshamahthereשָׁםadverb, directional ending — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.וְהִ֣יאvehiand as for herהוּאconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.מִצְעָ֑רmitsarlittle oneמִצְעָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “little one”, the ordinary formH4705petty (in size or number); adverbially, a short (time)little one (while), small.אִמָּלְטָ֨הimaletahescapeמָלַטverb, niphal, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “escape”, a determination or requestH4422properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit sparksdeliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone, let go, preserve, save, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] surely.נָּ֜אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, interjection — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.שָׁ֗מָּהshamahthereשָׁםadverb, directional ending — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.הֲלֹ֥אhalono , -r,לֹאparticle, interrogative, particle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מִצְעָ֛רmitsarlittle oneמִצְעָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “little one”, the ordinary formH4705petty (in size or number); adverbially, a short (time)little one (while), small.הִ֖ואhivas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.וּתְחִ֥יutechiand liveחָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and live”, an unfinished actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.נַפְשִֽׁיnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one; oh, let me escape thither — is it not a little one? — and my soul shall live.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.

Young’s Literal Translation

lo, I pray thee, this city [is] near to flee thither, and it [is] little; let me escape, I pray thee, thither, (is it not little?) and my soul doth live.'

World English Bible

See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”

Darby Translation

Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is small: I pray thee, let me escape thither — is it not small? — and my soul shall live.

Douay-Rheims

There is this city here at hand, to which I may flee, it is a little one, and I shall be saved in it: is it not a little one, and my soul shall live?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one; oh, let me escape thither — is it not a little one? — and my soul shall live.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Behold this city is near for me to escape thither, which is a small one, and there shall I be preserved, is it not little? and my soul shall live because of thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἰδοὺ πόλις αὕτη ἐγγὺς τοῦ καταφυγεῖν με ἐκεῖ, ἥ ἐστι μικρά· καὶ ἐκεῖ διασωθήσομαι· οὐ μικρά ἐστι; καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκέν σου.