Proverbs 22:5
New International Version
In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls, but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

New Living Translation
Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.

English Standard Version
Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.

Berean Standard Bible
Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.

King James Bible
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

New King James Version
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them.

New American Standard Bible
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; One who guards himself will be far from them.

NASB 1995
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them.

NASB 1977
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; He who keeps his soul will be far from them.

Amplified Bible
Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them]; He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

Christian Standard Bible
There are thorns and snares on the way of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them.

American Standard Version
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

Contemporary English Version
Crooks walk down a road full of thorny traps. Stay away from there!

English Revised Version
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A devious person has thorns and traps ahead of him. Whoever guards himself will stay far away from them.

Good News Translation
If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way.

International Standard Version
Thorns and snares lie in the path of the perverse person, but whoever is cautious stays far away from them.

Majority Standard Bible
Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.

NET Bible
Thorns and snares are in the path of the perverse, but the one who guards himself keeps far from them.

New Heart English Bible
Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

World English Bible
Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; whoever guards his soul stays from them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Thorns [and] snares [are] in the way of the perverse, "" Whoever is keeping his soul is far from them.

Young's Literal Translation
Thorns -- snares are in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thorns, snares, in the way of the perverse one: he watching his soul shall be far from them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul departeth far from them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Weapons and swords are on the way of the perverse. But he who guards his own soul withdraws far from them.

New American Bible
Thorns and snares are on the path of the crooked; those who would safeguard their lives will avoid them.

New Revised Standard Version
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; the cautious will keep far from them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Snares and traps are found on a crooked way; he who keeps his soul shall be far from them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Nets and snares are in the perverse way, and he that keeps his soul will be far from them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; He that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thistles and snares are in perverse ways; but he that keeps his soul will refrain from them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Good Name
4The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life. 5Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.…

Cross References
Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. / But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. / But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. / He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. ...

Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? / I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. / But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. / When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. ...

Isaiah 35:8-9
And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it. / No lion will be there, and no vicious beast will go up on it. Such will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk upon it.

Luke 13:24
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Romans 3:10-18
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. / There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. / All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” ...

Isaiah 59:8
The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Psalm 125:5
But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Proverbs 4:14-15
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. / Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.

1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Job 18:8-10
For his own feet lead him into a net, and he wanders into its mesh. / A trap seizes his heel; a snare grips him. / A noose is hidden in the ground, and a trap lies in his path.


Treasury of Scripture

Thorns and snares are in the way of the fraudulent: he that does keep his soul shall be far from them.

thorns

Proverbs 13:15
Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

Proverbs 15:19
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Joshua 23:13
Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

he

Proverbs 13:3
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 16:17
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Proverbs 19:16
He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.

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Proverbs 22
1. A good name is more desirable than great wealth














Thorns and snares
The imagery of "thorns and snares" evokes a sense of danger and entrapment. In the Hebrew context, "thorns" (Hebrew: קֹוצִים, qotsim) often symbolize obstacles or consequences of sin, reminiscent of the curse in Genesis 3:18 where the ground would produce thorns and thistles as a result of the Fall. "Snares" (Hebrew: פַּחִים, pachim) are traps set by hunters, symbolizing hidden dangers that can capture the unwary. Together, these terms suggest that the path of sin is fraught with visible and hidden perils, warning believers to be vigilant and discerning.

lie on the path
The phrase "lie on the path" indicates that these dangers are not merely incidental but are deliberately placed along the journey of life. The Hebrew word for "path" (דֶּרֶךְ, derek) often refers to one's way of life or moral conduct. This suggests that those who choose a life contrary to God's wisdom will inevitably encounter these spiritual and moral hazards. The path is not just a physical journey but a metaphor for the choices and directions one takes in life.

of the perverse
The term "perverse" (Hebrew: עִקֵּשׁ, iqqesh) refers to those who are morally twisted or crooked, deviating from the straight path of righteousness. In a biblical sense, perversity is not just about outward actions but an inward disposition that rejects God's truth and wisdom. This highlights the importance of aligning one's heart and actions with God's will to avoid the pitfalls of a perverse life.

he who guards his soul
"Guards" (Hebrew: שָׁמַר, shamar) implies a vigilant, proactive effort to protect oneself. The "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh) in Hebrew encompasses one's entire being, including mind, will, and emotions. This phrase emphasizes the responsibility of believers to actively safeguard their spiritual well-being by adhering to God's commandments and wisdom. It is a call to be intentional in one's spiritual journey, recognizing the value and vulnerability of the soul.

stays far from them
The action to "stay far from them" suggests a deliberate avoidance of the dangers associated with a perverse path. This is not merely a passive distancing but an active choice to pursue righteousness and wisdom. The Hebrew concept here is about making conscious decisions to avoid situations, influences, or behaviors that could lead one astray. It underscores the biblical principle of separation from sin and the pursuit of holiness, as echoed in passages like 2 Corinthians 6:17, which calls believers to come out from among the ungodly and be separate.

(5) Thorns.--Comp. note on Proverbs 15:19.

Verse 5 - Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward. The words are in the Hebrew without the conjunction (see note, ver. 4), though the versions generally add it. Thus the Septuagint, τρίβολοι καὶ παγίδες; Vulgate, arma et gladiii but the Venetian, ἄκανθαι παγίδες. It is a question whether the thorns are what the perverse prepare for others, or what they themselves suffer. In Proverbs 15:19 the hedge of thorns represented the difficulties in the sluggard's path; but here, viewed in connection with the following hemistich, the thorns and snares refer to the hindrances proceeding from the froward, which injuriously affect others; "thorns" being a figure of the pains and troubles, "snares" of the unexpected dangers and impediments which evil men cause as they go on their crooked way. The word for "thorns" is צנִּים, which occurs in Job 5:5. The plant is supposed to be the Rhamnus paliurus, but it has not been accurately identified. He that doth keep his soul shall be far from them (comp. Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 16:17). The man who has regard to his life and morals will go far, will keep wholly aloof, from those perils and traps into which the perverse try to entice them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Thorns
צִנִּ֣ים (ṣin·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6791: A thorn, a cactus-hedge

and snares
פַּ֭חִים (pa·ḥîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6341: A, sheet, a spring net

[lie] on the path
בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ (bə·ḏe·reḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

of the perverse;
עִקֵּ֑שׁ (‘iq·qêš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6141: Twisted, perverted

he who guards
שׁוֹמֵ֥ר (šō·w·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

his soul
נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

stays far
יִרְחַ֥ק (yir·ḥaq)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7368: To be or become far or distant

from them.
מֵהֶֽם׃ (mê·hem)
Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the path (Prov. Pro Pr)
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