Genesis 19:20

19:20 Look, this town ¹  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ²  Let me go there. ³  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁴  Then I’ll survive.” ⁵ 

Genesis 19:22

19:22 Run there quickly, ⁶  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁷ 

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¹ tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”

² tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”

³ tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.

⁴ tn Heb “Is it not little?”

⁵ tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.

⁶ tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

⁷ tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).