for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is how the verse describes sin not just as a choice, but as an unstoppable momentum. Their "feet run to evil" and they "make haste to shed blood" shows an urgent, almost compulsive drive that sweeps them away, suggesting that once you step onto the wrong path, it becomes incredibly difficult to stop yourself from going further into destruction.
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The father is urging his son to reject the wicked, who are actively plotting to rob and harm others. This verse explains why he should avoid them: their eagerness for gain leads them swiftly down a path of violence and bloodshed, as seen in the preceding verses where they plot to ambush innocent people. Ultimately, the father wants to steer his son away from such destructive company and the ruin it brings.
Why does the Bible say sinners 'run' and 'make haste' to do evil? It's not just about speed, but a loss of control.
When the Bible describes sinners as having 'feet that run to evil' and 'making haste to shed blood,' it paints a vivid picture of their spiritual momentum.
Losing the Brakes
This isn't about a calm, deliberate choice. It's about a trajectory where the natural inclination and the speed of action are both geared toward destruction. Think of it like a car with its brakes cut – it doesn't just move toward a cliff, it accelerates towards it.
The Gravity of Evil
The imagery of 'running' and 'haste' highlights how quickly sin can take over. What might start as a small compromise can rapidly escalate. The desire for ill-gotten gain (as hinted in the preceding verses) pulls them forward, making them eager to commit acts that seem unthinkable to those who haven't yet been swept up in the same current.
What's the real 'profit' in sin? The Bible warns that the very acts sinners rush into bring destruction not only on others but also on themselves.
Proverbs 1:16 specifically calls out the rush towards 'evil' and 'shedding blood.' This isn't just about causing harm to others, but about the self-destructive nature of sin.
Hurting Others, Harming Yourself
The 'evil' they run to often includes acts like robbery and violence, as suggested by the context. The 'shedding of blood' points to murder. These are heinous crimes. However, the Bible consistently teaches that sin's consequences boomerang back on the sinner.
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The Unseen Harvest
When people eagerly pursue wickedness, they are, in effect, sowing seeds that will yield a terrible harvest for themselves. This could be immediate legal consequences, the destruction of relationships, or, on a deeper spiritual level, estrangement from God and the loss of one's own life (in the eternal sense). The verse implies that the pursuit of sin leads to a state where one's own life becomes vulnerable, either by their own hand or by the hand of justice.
Understand the original words
ra' · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Actions or desires that are morally wrong, contrary to God's will, and destructive to oneself and others. It represents a state or act of rebellion against God's standards of righteousness.
dam · Hebrew Noun
The act of violently ending a human life. In biblical law, it is a grave offense against the image of God in man, punishable by death.
This passage describes the violence and injustice that characterize the wicked, echoing the 'feet running to evil' and the swiftness to shed blood found in Proverbs. It highlights how their actions bring destruction.
Romans 3:15-16The Apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 59, directly referencing the destructive and violent nature of human sinfulness, which includes 'their feet are swift to shed blood.' This shows the pervasive theme of sin's destructive haste.
Jeremiah 22:17This verse condemns rulers who pursue dishonest gain and shed innocent blood, mirroring the greedy and violent impulses described in Proverbs 1:16. It shows the severe consequences of such actions.
Matthew 5:21-22Jesus expands the understanding of 'murder,' connecting it not just to the act of shedding blood but also to the anger and malice that fuel it. This shows that the 'haste to shed blood' is rooted in a deeper corruption.
clarkeProverbs 1:16: "For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood."
For their feet run to evil - The whole of this verse is wanting in the Septuagint, and in the Arabic.
pulpitProverbs 1:16: "For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood."
Verse 16. - For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. This is the first dissuasive urged to enforce the warning against evil companionship, as showing the extremes to which entering upon the ways of the wicked lead ultimately. At once the youth who listens will be hurried along impetuously to the two crimes of robbery and murder, which God has expressly forbidden in the eighth and sixth commandments respe…
What's striking here is how the verse describes sin not just as a choice, but as an unstoppable momentum. Their "feet run to evil" and they "make haste to shed blood" shows an urgent, almost compulsive drive that sweeps them away, suggesting that once you step onto the wrong path, it becomes incredibly difficult to stop yourself from going further into destruction.
The father is urging his son to reject the wicked, who are actively plotting to rob and harm others. This verse explains why he should avoid them: their eagerness for gain leads them swiftly down a path of violence and bloodshed, as seen in the preceding verses where they plot to ambush innocent people. Ultimately, the father wants to steer his son away from such destructive company and the ruin it brings.
The father is urging his son to reject the wicked, who are actively plotting to rob and harm others. This verse explains why he should avoid them: their eagerness for gain leads them swiftly down a path of violence and bloodshed, as seen in the preceding verses where they plot to ambush innocent people. Ultimately, the father wants to steer his son away from such destructive company and the ruin it brings.
"for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood." — What's striking here is how the verse describes sin not just as a choice, but as an unstoppable momentum. Their "feet run to evil" and they "make haste to shed blood" shows an urgent, almost compulsi…
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Last reviewed October 2026