Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
The verse pictures a young man without understanding giving himself to the immoral woman and following her at once under cover of darkness, turned aside from virtue like an animal led to slaughter until he receives a fatal wound. Like a bird darting into a snare without knowing the danger, he rushes along the seductive path unaware that it will cost him his life, ending in sudden ruin and death. That forbidden pleasure is brief but deadly to body and soul, bringing long years of bitter remorse, for violation of spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death. It is written to warn young men in time, showing plainly where drunkenness and impurity lead so they may turn back before it is too late. Its warning should take hold on the hearts of both men and women, for the fault is not in being tempted but in running into temptation of one's own accord and listening to the charmer until the heart goes after what is forbidden.
Words and Setting
The verse portrays a young man void of understanding who yields to the strange woman. He goes the way to her house under cover of darkness. He follows her at once without thought, turned from the path of virtue. He is like livestock led to killing and like a bird rushing into a trap without knowing the cost is his own life, until he is struck with a deadly wound.
The chapter describes the character of a class of women. They are represented by the woman in Ecclesiastes 7:26, whom Solomon encountered while seeking pleasure. The verse uses the Hebrew word nephesh, translated here as life, one of 118 Old Testament occurrences in which that word is translated life or lives.
Sin's Fatal Snare
Like a bird hastening to a snare without knowing it is for its life, the one drawn by seduction follows the path to death unaware of the danger, rushing on to sudden, life-ending ruin in ruin and death. The path of sexual impurity leads to that sudden deadly end, and it tells one turning toward drunkenness and sexual immorality where that course leads and urges him to turn back before it is too late. The same warning applies to the boy who ignored reproof and chose folly, for breaking spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death. It also shows that morality enforced through political power is like a harlot whose path leads to death.
Immoral pleasure is momentary but brings long years of bitter remorse, and is fatal to the health of soul and body, so that sexual sin appears exceeding sinful. The young man void of understanding yields to the strange woman and goes the way to her house under cover of darkness, following her at once without thought, like livestock led to killing and like a bird rushing into a trap not knowing the cost is his own life, until he is struck with a deadly wound. This is a vivid and truthful setting forth of vice and its results, that young men should take warning in time to escape the grievous snares thick about their feet. Breaking spiritual law in this way brings spiritual disease and death, ending in ruin and death.
The enchantress's bed is a snare that lulls people to the sleep of death, showing the peril of temptation. The one drawn into danger does not realize it is deadly, like a bird rushing into a snare. Christ knows these hidden dangers and how to escape them.
To be tempted is no sin, and to feel temptation grievous is no weakness. The mistake is running into temptation of one's own accord. The sin is listening to the voice of the charmer until the heart goes out after what is forbidden, gazing upon the danger till sinking into it and almost too late to cry out, Lord, save us, we perish.
Warning and Application
The verse sets vice and its results before the reader in vivid and truthful form in order to warn young men in time to escape the grievous snares thick about their feet. It tells the one turning toward drunkenness and sexual immorality where that path leads, that immoral pleasure is momentary but brings long years of bitter remorse and is fatal to the health of soul and body, and urges him to turn back before it is too late to a sudden, deadly end. Its instruction ought to take hold upon the heart of both men and women to warn them against the sins condemned there, though it belongs to passages not well suited to be read aloud in a mixed assembly of men and women.
The warning applies to the boy who ignored reproof and chose folly, for breaking spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death in ruin and death to the one who follows deceptive temptation without recognizing its danger. The danger is especially grave when young people are left ignorant of the moral risks they face, where sexual temptation can lead a person unknowingly into mortal ruin and a single misstep may lead to a life of shame. Morality enforced through political power is likened to a harlot whose seductive path leads to sudden, life-ending ruin and to death, followed unaware of the danger.
Corrupt alliances and associations entangle a person like a bird hastening to a snare and become a hindrance to salvation, so that he learns only when it is too late that escape is almost impossible. Breaking away from them at once and forever is like cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right eye. The city’s deceptive attractions and alluring voices lure the careless to destruction, as one drawn into sin rushes toward death without recognizing the danger.
The verse pictures a young man without understanding giving himself to the immoral woman and following her at once under cover of darkness, turned aside from virtue like an animal led to slaughter until he receives a fatal wound. Like a bird darting into a snare without knowing the danger, he rushes along the seductive path unaware that it will cost him his life, ending in sudden ruin and death. That forbidden pleasure is brief but deadly to body and soul, bringing long years of bitter remorse, for violation of spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death. It is written to warn young men in time, showing plainly where drunkenness and impurity lead so they may turn back before it is too late. Its warning should take hold on the hearts of both men and women, for the fault is not in being tempted but in running into temptation of one's own accord and listening to the charmer until the heart goes after what is forbidden.
Words and Setting
The verse portrays a young man void of understanding who yields to the strange woman. He goes the way to her house under cover of darkness. He follows her at once without thought, turned from the path of virtue. He is like livestock led to killing and like a bird rushing into a trap without knowing the cost is his own life, until he is struck with a deadly wound.
The chapter describes the character of a class of women. They are represented by the woman in Ecclesiastes 7:26, whom Solomon encountered while seeking pleasure. The verse uses the Hebrew word nephesh, translated here as life, one of 118 Old Testament occurrences in which that word is translated life or lives.
Sin's Fatal Snare
Like a bird hastening to a snare without knowing it is for its life, the one drawn by seduction follows the path to death unaware of the danger, rushing on to sudden, life-ending ruin in ruin and death. The path of sexual impurity leads to that sudden deadly end, and it tells one turning toward drunkenness and sexual immorality where that course leads and urges him to turn back before it is too late. The same warning applies to the boy who ignored reproof and chose folly, for breaking spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death. It also shows that morality enforced through political power is like a harlot whose path leads to death.
Immoral pleasure is momentary but brings long years of bitter remorse, and is fatal to the health of soul and body, so that sexual sin appears exceeding sinful. The young man void of understanding yields to the strange woman and goes the way to her house under cover of darkness, following her at once without thought, like livestock led to killing and like a bird rushing into a trap not knowing the cost is his own life, until he is struck with a deadly wound. This is a vivid and truthful setting forth of vice and its results, that young men should take warning in time to escape the grievous snares thick about their feet. Breaking spiritual law in this way brings spiritual disease and death, ending in ruin and death.
The enchantress's bed is a snare that lulls people to the sleep of death, showing the peril of temptation. The one drawn into danger does not realize it is deadly, like a bird rushing into a snare. Christ knows these hidden dangers and how to escape them.
To be tempted is no sin, and to feel temptation grievous is no weakness. The mistake is running into temptation of one's own accord. The sin is listening to the voice of the charmer until the heart goes out after what is forbidden, gazing upon the danger till sinking into it and almost too late to cry out, Lord, save us, we perish.
Warning and Application
The verse sets vice and its results before the reader in vivid and truthful form in order to warn young men in time to escape the grievous snares thick about their feet. It tells the one turning toward drunkenness and sexual immorality where that path leads, that immoral pleasure is momentary but brings long years of bitter remorse and is fatal to the health of soul and body, and urges him to turn back before it is too late to a sudden, deadly end. Its instruction ought to take hold upon the heart of both men and women to warn them against the sins condemned there, though it belongs to passages not well suited to be read aloud in a mixed assembly of men and women.
The warning applies to the boy who ignored reproof and chose folly, for breaking spiritual law brings spiritual disease and death in ruin and death to the one who follows deceptive temptation without recognizing its danger. The danger is especially grave when young people are left ignorant of the moral risks they face, where sexual temptation can lead a person unknowingly into mortal ruin and a single misstep may lead to a life of shame. Morality enforced through political power is likened to a harlot whose seductive path leads to sudden, life-ending ruin and to death, followed unaware of the danger.
Corrupt alliances and associations entangle a person like a bird hastening to a snare and become a hindrance to salvation, so that he learns only when it is too late that escape is almost impossible. Breaking away from them at once and forever is like cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right eye. The city’s deceptive attractions and alluring voices lure the careless to destruction, as one drawn into sin rushes toward death without recognizing the danger.