What is the meaning of Proverbs 5:22? The iniquities • “Iniquities” speaks of deliberate, repeated offenses against God. Scripture treats these not as minor slip-ups but as serious breaches that leave a mark on the soul (Isaiah 59:2: “your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God”). • They are personal choices; no one drifts into iniquity accidentally. Numbers 32:23 echoes, “be sure your sin will find you out”, stressing accountability. • Sin is therefore not merely an external act—it is a moral burden each person carries (Psalm 38:4). of a wicked man • “Wicked” identifies the person whose heart is set against God’s ways (Proverbs 4:19: “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness”). • This is not an occasional sinner repentant before the Lord but one who persists in rebellion (Romans 2:5). • His character shapes his destiny; Jesus warns that “every tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:44). entrap him • Sin never grants freedom; it lays a snare. Proverbs 11:6 says, “the unfaithful are trapped by their evil desires”. • What begins as a choice soon becomes a cage. Galatians 6:7–8 reminds us that “God is not mocked… the one who sows to please his flesh… will reap destruction”. • The picture is of a hunter’s trap suddenly snapping shut—the sinner finds himself caught by what he thought he controlled. the cords of his sin • “Cords” evoke ropes wound tighter with every act of disobedience. Isaiah 5:18 portrays those who “pull iniquity with cords of deceit”. • Each decision to sin adds another strand, strengthening bondage. Jesus states plainly, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). • These cords are self-made; no outside force ties them. entangle him • The final image is of complete immobilization—sin wraps around, limiting movement, vision, and hope. Hebrews 12:1 warns believers to “lay aside every sin that so easily entangles”. • Entanglement leads to deeper confusion and despair (2 Peter 2:20). • Freedom is found only when those cords are cut by repentance and faith in Christ, who “sets prisoners free” (Psalm 146:7). summary Proverbs 5:22 paints sin as a self-forged trap: deliberate iniquities tighten into cords that immobilize the unrepentant. The verse calls us to recognize sin’s enslaving power, turn to the Lord before the cords harden, and walk in the liberty that obedience to His Word provides. |
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