Proverbs 7:23
New International Version
till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

New Living Translation
awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.

English Standard Version
till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.

Berean Standard Bible
until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

King James Bible
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

New King James Version
Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.

New American Standard Bible
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hurries to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

NASB 1995
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

NASB 1977
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

Legacy Standard Bible
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a bird hastens to the snare, And he does not know that it will cost him his soul.

Amplified Bible
Until an arrow pierced his liver [with a mortal wound]; Like a bird fluttering straight into the net, He did not know that it would cost him his life.

Christian Standard Bible
until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare — he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare— he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

American Standard Version
Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

Contemporary English Version
and killed with arrows. He was no more than a bird rushing into a trap, without knowing it would cost him his life.

English Revised Version
Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
until an arrow pierces his heart, like a bird darting into a trap. He does not realize that it will cost him his life.

Good News Translation
where an arrow would pierce its heart. He was like a bird going into a net--he did not know that his life was in danger.

International Standard Version
until an arrow pierces his liver. As a bird darts into a snare, he doesn't realize his fatal decision.

Majority Standard Bible
until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

NET Bible
till an arrow pierces his liver--like a bird hurrying into a trap, and he does not know that it will cost him his life.

New Heart English Bible
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn't know that it will cost his life.

Webster's Bible Translation
Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

World English Bible
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Until an arrow splits his liver, "" As a bird has hurried to a snare, "" And has not known that it [is] for its life.

Young's Literal Translation
Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it is for its life.

Smith's Literal Translation
Till an arrow shall cleave his liver; as a bird hastening to the snare, and not knowing that it is for his soul.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.

Catholic Public Domain Version
until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.

New American Bible
till an arrow pierces its liver; Like a bird that rushes into a snare, unaware that his life is at stake.

New Revised Standard Version
until an arrow pierces its entrails. He is like a bird rushing into a snare, not knowing that it will cost him his life.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And as a stag whose liver is pierced with an arrow, as a bird hastens to the snare, and does not know that he goes to his death.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And like a stag when an arrow flies into its liver, he hastens like a living bird to a snare, and does not know that it is to the death of his soul that he goes.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteneth to the snare-- And knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for his life.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warnings about the Adulteress
22He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, 23until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him his life. 24Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.…

Cross References
Proverbs 5:22-23
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him. / He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

Ecclesiastes 9:12
For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Proverbs 9:18
But they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 22:5
Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.

Proverbs 1:17-18
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it! / But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

Jeremiah 5:26
For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

Hosea 7:11-12
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria. / As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.

Psalm 91:3
Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague.

Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

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.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Timothy 6:9
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

2 Peter 2:12
These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.


Treasury of Scripture

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.

a dart

Numbers 25:8,9
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel…

as a bird

Proverbs 1:17
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

Ecclesiastes 9:12
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

knoweth

Proverbs 9:18
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Jump to Previous
Arrow Bird Cost Danger Dart Darting Entrails Falling Hastened Hasteneth Hastens Hasteth Hurries Liver Net Pierces Rushes Snare Split Strike Strikes Striketh Thought
Jump to Next
Arrow Bird Cost Danger Dart Darting Entrails Falling Hastened Hasteneth Hastens Hasteth Hurries Liver Net Pierces Rushes Snare Split Strike Strikes Striketh Thought
Proverbs 7
1. Solomon persuades to a sincere and kind familiarity with wisdom
6. In an example of his own experience he shows
10. the cunning of a harlot
22. and the desperate simplicity of a young wanton
24. He detests such wickedness














till an arrow pierces his liver
This phrase paints a vivid and dramatic picture of the consequences of succumbing to temptation. The "arrow" symbolizes sudden and inevitable judgment or consequence. In ancient times, the liver was considered the seat of life and emotion, making this imagery particularly poignant. The Hebrew word for "arrow" (חֵץ, chets) often denotes a swift and deadly weapon, emphasizing the suddenness of the downfall. The liver, being a vital organ, signifies the depth of the wound—both physically and spiritually. This phrase serves as a stark warning about the dangers of sin, illustrating how yielding to temptation can lead to severe and life-altering consequences.

like a bird darting into a snare
Here, the imagery shifts to that of a bird, symbolizing innocence or naivety, being caught in a trap. The Hebrew word for "snare" (מוֹקֵשׁ, moqesh) refers to a trap or a baited lure, often used to capture unsuspecting animals. This metaphor highlights the deceptive nature of sin, which often appears harmless or enticing but ultimately leads to entrapment. The bird's "darting" suggests impulsiveness or lack of foresight, a common human trait when faced with temptation. This phrase serves as a caution against acting without considering the potential consequences, urging believers to seek wisdom and discernment.

not knowing it will cost him his life
This final phrase underscores the tragic ignorance of the one who falls into sin. The Hebrew word for "life" (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh) encompasses not just physical life but also the soul and one's entire being. The cost of sin is not merely physical death but spiritual death and separation from God. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the ultimate price of sin, which is far greater than one might initially perceive. It calls believers to be vigilant and aware of the spiritual stakes involved in their choices, emphasizing the importance of living a life aligned with God's wisdom and righteousness.

(23) Till a dart strike through his liver.--These words must be taken in a parenthesis.

That it is for his life.--i.e., at the cost of it, when "his flesh and body are consumed," and remorse has seized upon him (Proverbs 5:11).

Verse 23. - Till a dart strike through his liver. This clause would be better taken with the preceding verse, as in the Septuagint, or else placed in a parenthesis; then the following clause introduces a new come parison. The youth follows the harlot till his liver, the seat of the passions, is thoroughly inflamed, or till fatal consequences ensue. Theocr., 'Id,' 11:15 -

Ἔχθιστον ἔχων ὑποκάρδιον ἕλκος
Κύπριος ἐκ μεγάλας τὸ οἱ ἥπατι πᾶξε βέλεμνον.
"Beneath his breast
A hateful wound he bore by Cypris given,
Who in his liver fixed the fatal dart."
Delitzsch would relegate the hemistich to the end of the verse, making it denote the final result of mad and illicit love. The sense thus gained is satisfactory, but the alteration is quite arbitrary, and unsupported by ancient authority. As a bird hasteth to the snare. This is another comparison (see Proverbs 1:17, the first proverb in the book, and note there). And knoweth not that it is for his life; i.e. the infatuated youth does not consider that his life is at stake, that he is bringing upon himself, by his vicious rashness, temporal and spiritual ruin (Proverbs 5:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
until
עַ֤ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

an arrow
חֵ֡ץ (ḥêṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spear

pierces
יְפַלַּ֪ח (yə·p̄al·laḥ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6398: To slice, break open, pierce

his liver,
כְּֽבֵד֗וֹ (kə·ḇê·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3516: The liver

like a bird
צִפּ֣וֹר (ṣip·pō·wr)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6833: A little bird

darting
כְּמַהֵ֣ר (kə·ma·hêr)
Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4116: To be liquid, flow easily, to hurry, promptly

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

a snare—
פָּ֑ח (pāḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6341: A, sheet, a spring net

not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

knowing
יָ֝דַ֗ע (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

it
הֽוּא׃ (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

will cost him his life.
בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹ (ḇə·nap̄·šōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion


Links
Proverbs 7:23 NIV
Proverbs 7:23 NLT
Proverbs 7:23 ESV
Proverbs 7:23 NASB
Proverbs 7:23 KJV

Proverbs 7:23 BibleApps.com
Proverbs 7:23 Biblia Paralela
Proverbs 7:23 Chinese Bible
Proverbs 7:23 French Bible
Proverbs 7:23 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Proverbs 7:23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 7:22
Top of Page
Top of Page