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

PROVERBS 22:5KJV
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Proverbs 22:5 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 22:5 mean?

Proverbs 22:5 says that people who are "froward"—meaning stubborn or morally twisted—will find their path filled with difficulties and traps, while those who guard their own lives will avoid these troubles. The verse uses the images of thorns and snares to show how harmful choices can make life much harder.

In the book of Proverbs, a father or wise teacher is giving advice to a younger person about how to live wisely. Here, the focus is on the real-life consequences of being "froward" (deliberately going against what is right). The verse encourages careful living, suggesting that those who watch over their own well-being by making wise choices can steer clear of unnecessary pain and danger.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 22:5

  • "Froward" (עִקֵּשׁ, 'iqqēsh) refers to someone who is morally crooked or perverse, not just stubborn. This word highlights that the dangers described are connected to a person's character and choices, not just bad luck.
  • "Keep" (שָׁמַר, shāmar) means to guard or watch over. The idea is active: someone who pays careful attention to their own life and choices can avoid the traps that catch others.
  • "Soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) often means a person's life or self, not just their inner feelings. Here, it points to the whole person being protected by wise living.

Why Proverbs 22:5 matters

  • Proverbs 22:5 clarifies that trouble is not random but often the result of a person's own choices and character, especially when someone is deliberately difficult or dishonest.
  • The verse highlights personal responsibility, showing that wisdom involves actively guarding one's life rather than just hoping for good outcomes.
  • In the wider context of Proverbs, this verse fits the theme that wise living leads to safety and peace, while ignoring wisdom brings harm.

Where else these words appear

“Thorns” Hebrew H6791 · used in 2 verses

  • Job 5:5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

“froward” Hebrew H6141 · used in 11 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
  • Psalms 101:4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
  • Proverbs 11:20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

“snares” Hebrew H6341 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
  • Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

“far” Hebrew H7368 · used in 56 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Psalms 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
  • Isaiah 6:12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.