וַיֵּצֵ֨א ל֜וֹט וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־חֲתָנָ֣יו ׀ לֹקְחֵ֣י בְנֹתָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ ק֤וּמוּ צְּאוּ֙ מִן־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־מַשְׁחִ֥ית יהוה אֶת־הָעִ֑יר וַיְהִ֥י כִמְצַחֵ֖ק בְּעֵינֵ֥י חֲתָנָֽיו׃
(The above rendering comes from the RJPS translation—an adaptation of the NJPS translation—as revised in May 2025. For an orientation to this translation, see the Preface.)
Who exactly are the family members brought into view by the expression חֲתָנָיו לֹקְחֵי בְנֹתָיו? At first glance, it is redundant, since the noun חָתָן is usually taken to mean “son-in-law.” If so, then by definition they are the ones who married his daughters.
However, there are good reasons for construing חָתָן in this passage as meaning “relatives by marriage” more generally. If so, then the qualifying phrase לֹקְחֵי בְנֹתָיו is needed to narrow down the intended denotation to sons-in-law. The apposition is a restrictive one. See further my comment at Genesis 19:12 (2 of 2).
In short, a recognition that, in the context of urgent concern for the family’s welfare, חָתָן has a broader denotation than “son-in-law” yields a more coherent and informative text. Consequently, this reading must be the plain sense of the passage.
As for rendering into English, the NJPS “sons-in-law, who had married his daughters,…” is relatively incoherent and uninformative. The revised rendering improves both aspects: “in-laws who had married his daughters.”