בָהֶֽם׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בָהֶֽם׃

   va-HEM

   against them or with them
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃

   a-SE va-HEM

   do, act against them or with them
3. clause🔊 והיו וְיִהְי֤וּ מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃

   ve-ha-YU ve-yih-YU mukh-sha-LIM le-fa-NE-kha be-ET ap-KHA a-SE va-HEM

   and let them be and let them be stumbling, caused to fall before you in the time of your anger do, act against them or with them
4. sentence🔊 וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֠הוָה יָדַ֜עְתָּ אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲצָתָ֤ם עָלַי֙ לַמָּ֔וֶת אַל־תְּכַפֵּר֙ עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּ֑מְחִי והיו וְיִהְי֤וּ מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ בְּעֵ֥ת אַפְּּךָ֖ עֲשֵׂ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃

   ve-a-TA ye-ho-VAH ya-da-TA et-KOL-a-tsa-TAM a-LAI lam-MA-vet al-te-kha-PER al-a-vo-NAM ve-kha-ta-TA-TAM mil-fe-NE-kha al-te-ME-khi ve-ha-YU ve-yih-YU mukh-sha-LIM le-fa-NE-kha be-ET ap-KHA a-SE va-HEM

   and you LORD you have known the whole counsel of them against me for death do not cover over upon their iniquity and their sin from before you do not wipe out and let them be and let them be stumbling, caused to fall before you in the time of your anger do, act against them or with them

Exegesis

The Hophal participle mukshalim {מֻכְשָׁלִים | muk-shā-lîm} ‘caused to stumble’ and the imperative aseh bahem {עֲשֵׂה בָהֶם | ʿa-sê bā-hem}, introduced by the temporal be-et appekha {בְּעֵת אַפְּךָ | bə-ʿēt ap-pə-ḵā} ‘in the time of Your anger,’ frame the imprecatory petition. The Qere/Ketiv distinction (vehayu/ve-yahiyu) underscores the shift from narrative “and they were” to legal-prayer “and let them be.”