Proverbs 5:22
Proverbs 5:22 in Multiple Translations
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
¶ His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin.
The wicked are trapped by their evil actions; the cords of their sins tie them up.
His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall be holden with the cordes of his owne sinne.
His own iniquities do capture the wicked, And with the ropes of his sin he is holden.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.
His own iniquities catch the wicked, and he is fast bound with the ropes of his own sins.
Evil men’s sinful desires hold them fast; their sins are like ropes that bind them.
Berean Amplified Bible — Proverbs 5:22
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Proverbs 5:22 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗י/ו
יִלְכְּדֻ/נ֥וֹ
אֶת
הָ/רָשָׁ֑ע
וּ/בְ/חַבְלֵ֥י
חַ֝טָּאת֗/וֹ
יִתָּמֵֽךְ
עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗י/ו
ʻâvôn
H5771
iniquity
N-cp | Suff
יִלְכְּדֻ/נ֥וֹ
lâkad
H3920
to capture
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
הָ/רָשָׁ֑ע
râshâʻ
H7563
wicked
Art | Adj
וּ/בְ/חַבְלֵ֥י
chebel
H2256
cord
Conj | Prep | N-cp
חַ֝טָּאת֗/וֹ
chaṭṭâʼâh
H2403
sin
N-fs | Suff
יִתָּמֵֽךְ
tâmak
H8551
to grasp
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Proverbs 5:22
עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗י/ו
ʻâvôn
H5771
"iniquity"
N-cp | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means moral evil or sin, like the kind God sees in people's hearts. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms. This concept is key to understanding human nature.
Definition: : crime 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
Usage: Occurs in 215 OT verses. KJV: fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin. See also: Genesis 4:13; Psalms 107:17; Psalms 18:24.
יִלְכְּדֻ/נ֥וֹ
lâkad
H3920
"to capture"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff
This verb means to capture or seize, often using a net or trap. In the Bible, it is used to describe taking control of something or someone, and is also used figuratively to describe being caught or stuck in a situation.
Definition: 1) to capture, take, seize 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to capture, seize 1a2) to capture (of men) (fig.) 1a3) to take (by lot) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be caught (of men in trap, snare) (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) to grasp each other
Usage: Occurs in 112 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, catch (self), be frozen, be holden, stick together, take. See also: Numbers 21:32; 2 Kings 18:10; Psalms 9:16.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
הָ/רָשָׁ֑ע
râshâʻ
H7563
"wicked"
Art | Adj
This word describes someone who is morally wrong, a bad person who is guilty of crime or sin against God or others. It is used to describe the wicked in biblical stories, such as in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Usage: Occurs in 248 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong. See also: Genesis 18:23; Psalms 101:8; Psalms 1:1.
וּ/בְ/חַבְלֵ֥י
chebel
H2256
"cord"
Conj | Prep | N-cp
A cord or rope, also a measured area of land or a group of people tied together. In the Bible, it appears in books like Joshua and Psalms. It can also mean a company or region.
Definition: 1) a cord, rope, territory, band, company 1a) a rope, cord 1b) a measuring-cord or line 1c) a measured portion, lot, part, region 1d) a band or company § destruction
Usage: Occurs in 60 OT verses. KJV: band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling. See also: Deuteronomy 3:4; Psalms 119:61; Psalms 16:6.
חַ֝טָּאת֗/וֹ
chaṭṭâʼâh
H2403
"sin"
N-fs | Suff
This word describes sin, guilt, or punishment for sin, and also the sacrifice or purification made to atone for it. It is used in the Bible to describe the consequences and solutions for sin. The KJV translates it as 'punishment' or 'sin'.
Definition: sin, sinful thing
Usage: Occurs in 270 OT verses. KJV: punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering). See also: Genesis 4:7; Numbers 12:11; Psalms 25:7.
יִתָּמֵֽךְ
tâmak
H8551
"to grasp"
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to grasp or hold something, like taking hold of a person or object. It is used in books like Genesis and Psalms to describe helping or supporting someone.
Definition: 1) to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to grasp, lay hold of, attain 1a2) to hold up, support 1a3) to hold, keep 1a4) to take hold of each other 1b) (Niphal) to be seized, be held
Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: (take, up-) hold (up), maintain, retain, stay (up). See also: Genesis 48:17; Proverbs 5:22; Psalms 16:5.
Study Notes — Proverbs 5:22
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Proverbs 5:22 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 5:22
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 5:22
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
- Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
- Ellicott's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
- Sermons on Proverbs 5:22
Context — Avoiding Immorality
20Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
22The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
23He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 11:5 | The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. |
| 2 | Psalms 9:15 | The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. |
| 3 | Proverbs 1:18 | But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. |
| 4 | Ephesians 5:5–6 | For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. |
| 5 | Hosea 4:11–14 | Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding. My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin. |
| 6 | Proverbs 1:31–32 | So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. |
| 7 | Psalms 7:15–16 | He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head. |
| 8 | 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. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 2:19 | Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts. |
| 10 | 1 Corinthians 5:9–10 | I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. |
Proverbs 5:22 Summary
This verse, Proverbs 5:22, teaches that when we choose to sin, our own wrong actions can trap us and get us into trouble, like being tied up with ropes. This is because, as stated in Galatians 6:7-8, we reap what we sow, and our sinful choices can have serious consequences. But, as seen in Psalm 32:1-2 and John 8:36, when we confess our sins to God and turn to Jesus Christ, He can set us free from the entanglements of our sin and give us a new life. By following God's ways and trusting in His love and forgiveness, we can avoid the traps of sin and live a life that is pleasing to Him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for iniquities to entrap someone?
According to Proverbs 5:22, the iniquities of a wicked man entrap him, meaning that his own sinful actions and choices lead to his downfall, as seen also in Galatians 6:7-8 where it says we reap what we sow.
Can a person escape the consequences of their sin?
The Bible teaches that while God offers forgiveness and restoration through Jesus Christ, as seen in Romans 6:23, the consequences of our sin can still entangle us, as stated in Proverbs 5:22, until we repent and turn to Him.
How does God view the sins of the wicked?
As stated in Proverbs 5:21, the LORD examines all the paths of a man, and according to Proverbs 5:22, the iniquities of a wicked man entrap him, indicating that God is aware of and takes notice of the sinful actions of the wicked, as also seen in Psalm 119:68 where God's precepts are righteous.
What is the ultimate result of a life of sin and wickedness?
According to Proverbs 5:23, a person who continues in sin and wickedness will die for lack of discipline, led astray by their own folly, but as seen in Proverbs 3:1-2 and John 3:16, those who follow God's ways and trust in Jesus Christ can have life and life abundantly.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I may be entangled by my own sinful choices, and how can I seek God's help to escape them?
- How does the knowledge that God examines all my paths and is aware of my sins affect my daily decisions and actions?
- In what ways can I apply the truth of Proverbs 5:22 to my relationships with others, and how can I help others who may be entangled by their own sin?
- What does it mean to 'die for lack of discipline' as stated in Proverbs 5:23, and how can I cultivate the discipline necessary to follow God's ways?
Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,.... As in a snare or net, as Gersom observes; in which the adulterer is so entangled that he cannot extricate himself; he may fancy that when he
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
In vain doth he think to disentangle himself from his lusts by repenting when he grows in years, and to escape punishments; for he is in perfect bondage to his lusts, and is neither able nor willing to set himself at liberty; and if he do escape the rage of a jealous husband, and the sentence of the magistrate, yet he shall be infallibly overtaken by the righteous judgment of God.
Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.Ver. 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked.] As so many sergeants set on by God; who will surely hamper these unruly beasts, that think to shift and escape his fingers, with the cords of their own sins, binding them hand and foot, and bringing them to condign punishment. So that, say the adulterer be not punished by the magistrate, or come off by comnmtation, yet he shall feel himself in the gall of bitterness and bond of perdition; he shall find that he hath made a halter to hang himself. Nobody can be so torn with stripes as a mind is with the remembrance of wicked actions. Tiberius felt the remorse of conscience so violent, that he protested to the senate that he suffered death daily. Tacitus
Ellicott's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
(22, 23) His own iniquities . . .—The final scene in the life of the profligate is here described. He has sinned so long that he is “tied and bound,” hand and foot, with the “chain of his sins,” and cannot get free even had he the wish to do so.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 5:22
Verse 22. He shall be holden with the cords of his sins.] Most people who follow unlawful pleasures, think they can give them up whenever they please; but sin repeated becomes customary; custom soon engenders habit; and habit in the end assumes the form of necessity; the man becomes bound with his own cords, and so is led captive by the devil at his will.
Sermons on Proverbs 5:22
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Righteousness Imputed and Imparted by Bill McLeod | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about a woman who felt restless and missed her husband when he was gone. She couldn't sleep and in her desperation, she knelt by |
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It’s Tempting by Ed Wrather | Ed Wrather emphasizes the importance of resisting temptation by drawing parallels to the story of Cain and Abel, highlighting how giving in to temptation can lead to destructive co |
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Jap-07 Judgment Begins in the House of God by Art Katz | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the negative impact of technology and entertainment on society. He highlights the prevalence of violent and degrading content on television, |
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Put Your Life in the Hands by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher uses a metaphor of a stagecoach running out of control to illustrate the need for Jesus to take control of our lives. He describes how in the Wild West |
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In His Time by Warren Wiersbe | Warren Wiersbe emphasizes the importance of letting God be the ultimate judge in our lives, trusting in His perfect timing and justice. He highlights the futility of taking vengean |
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The Christian in Complete Armour - Part 17 by William Gurnall | William Gurnall preaches about the importance of praying 'in the Spirit,' highlighting the need to pray with both the spirit of the person praying and the Spirit of God. He emphasi |
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Freedom From Masterbation and Sensuality by Tim Conway | This sermon emphasizes the need to flee from sin, particularly addressing the issue of justifying masturbation as not a sin. It highlights the importance of seeking biblical guidan |