Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them.
Parallel translations
- WEB Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.
- KJV Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
- NKJV Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them.
- NASB Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; One who guards himself will be far from them.
- NLT Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Thorns and snares beset the path of the crooked, but the careful avoid them. It matters because guarding one's soul keeps one from the perils of sin.
Overview
The way of the wicked is full of self-inflicted dangers, while those who watch over their souls keep clear of them (Proverbs 15:19; 13:15). The verse contrasts the perilous path of sin with the protected way of the godly. Guarding the heart and walking uprightly is the way of safety and life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Prov 16:17The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.
- Prov 15:19The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.
- Jude 1:20–21But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.
- Job 18:8For his own feet lead him into a net, and he wanders into its mesh.
- Prov 19:16He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul, but he who is careless in his ways will die.
- Prov 13:15Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the faithless is difficult.
- Prov 13:3He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
- Ps 18:26–27to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
- Josh 23:13know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.
- Ps 91:1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Ps 11:6On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 22:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.