Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
- BSB Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays 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 is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
- Prov 15:19The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, but the path of the upright is a highway.
- Jude 1:20–21But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
- Job 18:8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh.
- Prov 19:16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
- Prov 13:15Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.
- Prov 13:3He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
- Ps 18:26–27With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
- Josh 23:13know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.
- Ps 91:1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Ps 11:6On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.