בָ֔ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בָ֔ם

   VAM

   in them
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔ם

   yel-KHU VAM

   will walk in them
3. clause🔊 כִּי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וְצַדִּיקִים֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔ם וּפֹשְׁעִ֖ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בָּֽם׃

   KI-ye-sha-RIM dar-KHE ye-ho-VAH ve-tsa-di-KIM yel-KHU VAM u-fo-she-IM yi-kka-she-LU BAM

   for upright are the ways of the LORD and righteous ones will walk in them but transgressors will stumble in them
4. sentence🔊 מִ֤י חָכָם֙ וְיָ֣בֶן אֵ֔לֶּה נָב֖וֹן וְיֵֽדָעֵ֑ם כִּי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וְצַדִּיקִים֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔ם וּפֹשְׁעִ֖ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בָּֽם׃

   MI kha-KHAM ve-ya-VEN E-le na-VON ve-ye-da-EM KI-ye-sha-RIM dar-KHE ye-ho-VAH ve-tsa-di-KIM yel-KHU VAM u-fo-she-IM yi-kka-she-LU BAM

   who wise and will understand these discerning and will know them for upright are the ways of the LORD and righteous ones will walk in them but transgressors will stumble in them

Exegesis

Two parallel clauses then contrast outcomes: ve-tsaddikim yelekhu bam {וְצַדִּיקִ֖ים יֵלְכ֣וּ בָ֑ם | wə-ṣad-dî-qîm yēl-ḵū bām} portrays the righteous as successfully “walking” within those ways, while uposhe'im yikkashelu bam {וּפֹֽשְׁעִ֖ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בָֽם | ū-pō-šə-ʿîm yi-kā-šə-lū bām} sets the transgressors in ironic reversal: the same “ways” become the arena of their stumbling.