He had to...
It was necessary to do...and did not..., or: He had the ability to do...and did not...
("He is a prophet, and he is one of you who will tell, he is a treasurer who came to the city, about the affairs of eating and drinking. Ask him, as if asking him: Is this your wife? Is this your sister? Wherefore was the son of Noah killed, who was to teach and not to tell" - Makkoth 9:2)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הָיָה לוֹ ל...(הָיָה לוֹ ל...וְלֹא...)
Definition (Hebrew)
הָיָה צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת...וְלֹא..., אוֹ: הָיְתָה לוֹ אֶת הַיְּכֹלֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת ...וְלֹא...
("נָבִיא הוּא וּמִמְּךָ לָמַד, אַכְסְנַאי הוּא שֶׁבָּא לָעִיר, עַל עִסְקֵי אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ, כְּלוּם שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ: אִשְׁתְּךָ זוֹ? אֲחוֹתְךָ זוֹ? מִכָּאן שֶׁבֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לִלְמוֹד וְלֹא לָמַד"- מַכּוֹת ט ע"ב)