many days elapsed for him there, time was long for him, the hour was prolonged for him
Time was extended for him. He stayed there a long time. Much time passed for him in...
("And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at the window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife" - Genesis 26:8, and also: "The wisdom of the young has doubts, unresolved and incomplete questions among the difficulties, for they have not yet had enough time to review their knowledge and resolve their doubts" - Maimonides, Commentary on Pirkei Avot, Chapter 4, 22, 374, and also: "They would rise early to his door with supplication and humble gift / after despair from remedy... or when her days of illness and her hardships were prolonged" - Shaul Tchernichovsky, Epictetus at the Time When My Father Was to Be Found, and also: "And it came to pass when the days were long and the Baal Shem Tov ascended to heaven" - S.Y. Agnon, Tales of the Baal Shem Tov, The Letter)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אָרְכוּ לוֹ שָׁם הַיָּמִים, אָרַךְ לוֹ הַזְּמַן, אָרְכָה לוֹ הַשָּׁעָה
Definition (Hebrew)
הִתְאָרֵךְ לוֹ הַזְּמַן. שָׁהָה שָׁם זְמַן רַב. הַרְבֵּה זְמַן עָבַר עָלָיו ב...
("וַיְהִי כִּי אָרְכוּ לוֹ שָׁם הַיָּמִים וַיַּשְׁקֵף אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה יִצְחָק מְצַחֵק אֵת רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ"- בְּרֵאשִׁית כו ח, וְכֵן:"שֶׁחָכְמַת הַצְּעִירִים יֵשׁ בָּהּ סְפֵקוֹת,וּשְׁאֵלוֹת בִּלְתִּי מְבֹרָרוֹת וּבִלְתִּי שְׁלֵמוֹת מִן הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת,לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא אָרַךְ לָהֶם הַזְּמַן עַד שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ עַל יְדִיעוֹתֵיהֶם וִיסַלְּקוּ סְפֵקוֹתֵיהֶם"-הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ פֵּרוּשׁ לְפִרְקֵי אָבוֹת, פֶּרֶק רְבִיעִי, כב, 374, וְכֵן:"הָיוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים לְפִתְחוֹ בִּתְחִנָּה וּתְשׁוּרָה צְנוּעָה/ לְאַחַר יֵאוּשׁ מִתְּרוּפָה...אוֹ כְּשֶׁאָרְכוּ יְמֵי חָלְיָהּ שֶׁלָּהּ וּמְרוּדֶיהָ"- שָׁאוּל טְשֶׁרְנִיחוֹבְסְקִי/ אִיפִיאַטְרוֹס (רופא סוסים עממי) לְעֵת מְצֹא הָיָה אָבִי, וְכֵן:"וַיְהִי כִּי אָרְכוּ הַיָּמִים וְהַבֵּעשְׁ"ט עָלָה לַשָּׁמַיִם"- שַׁ"י עַגְנוֹן/ סִפּוּרֵי הַבֵּעשְׁ"ט, הַמִּכְתָּב)