כִּי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים

   KI-ye-sha-RIM

   for upright are
2. 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
3. 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

The conjunction ki {כִּֽי־ | kî} introduces the rationale for the appeal: yesharim darkhei YHWH {יְשָׁרִ֣ים דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה | yə-šā-rîm dar-khê Yə-hō-wāh} forms a predicate adjective construction (“upright are the ways of the LORD”), which emphasizes the moral straightness of YHWH’s ordering and instruction.