בְּחֵ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בְּחֵ֣י

   be-KHE

   by the life of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם

   be-KHE ha-o-LAM

   by the life of the age
3. clause🔊 וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּעַל֮ לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹר֒ וַיָּ֨רֶם יְמִינ֤וֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם

   va-esh-MA et-ha-EESH leh-VOOSH ha-bad-DEEM a-SHER mim-MA-al leh-MEH-MEH ha-ye-OR va-YA-rem ye-mi-NO oo-seh-mo-LO el-ha-sha-MA-yim va-yish-SHA-va be-KHE ha-o-LAM

   {And} I heard the man clothed in the linen garments who from above waters of the river {And He} raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens {And He} swore by the life of the age
4. sentence🔊 וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ לְב֣וּשׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּעַל֮ לְמֵימֵ֣י הַיְאֹר֒ וַיָּ֨רֶם יְמִינ֤וֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע בְּחֵ֣י הָעוֹלָ֑ם כִּי֩ לְמוֹעֵ֨ד מֽוֹעֲדִ֜ים וָחֵ֗צִי וּכְכַלּ֛וֹת נַפֵּ֥ץ יַד־עַם־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּכְלֶ֥ינָה כָל־אֵֽלֶּה׃

   va-esh-MA et-ha-EESH leh-VOOSH ha-bad-DEEM a-SHER mim-MA-al leh-MEH-MEH ha-ye-OR va-YA-rem ye-mi-NO oo-seh-mo-LO el-ha-sha-MA-yim va-yish-SHA-va be-KHE ha-o-LAM KI le-mo-ED mo-a-DIM va-KHE-tsi oo-khe-kal-LOT nap-PETS yad-am-KO-desh tikh-LEE-NA khol-EH-leh

   {And} I heard the man clothed in the linen garments who from above waters of the river {And He} raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens {And He} swore by the life of the age that for an appointed time appointed times and half and when the completion of shattering the hand of a holy people all these things they will be finished

Exegesis

The coordinated verbs wā-yā-rem {וַיָּ֨רֶם | wa-yā-rem} ‘and he lifted’ (Qal imperfect) and va-yîš-šā-ḇaʿ {וַיִּשָּׁבַע | wa-yîš-šā-ḇaʿ} ‘and he swore’ (Niphal imperfect) depict a solemn gesture followed by an oath sworn by bikhei haolam {בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם | bə-ḥê ha-ʿô-lām} ‘by the life of the Eternal’, implicitly invoking divine authority.