וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ

   ve-a-kha-ri-TAH

   but its end
2. clause🔊 וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

   ve-a-kha-ri-TAH dar-KHE-MA-vet

   but its end ways of death
3. sentence🔊 יֵ֤שׁ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יָ֭שָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

   YESH DE-rekh ya-SHAR lif-NE-Ish ve-a-kha-ri-TAH dar-KHE-MA-vet

   there is a way straight or right before a man but its end ways of death

Exegesis

The conjunction ve {וְ | wə} ‘but’ signals contrast and attaches to acharitah {אַחֲרִיתָהּ | ʼăḥărîtāh} ‘its end,’ with the feminine suffix referring back to derekh. The construct chain darkhei mavet combines plural construct and absolute noun to produce ‘ways of death,’ intensifying the dire consequence. In translation, the existential yesh is rendered with a modal nuance to convey caution, and darkhei mavet is rendered as a singular ‘road to death’ (formal) and a result clause ‘leads to death’ (dynamic).