The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss here is that the wicked person isn't just caught by some external force, but is bound by the very things they've woven themselves – their own repeated actions. Sin isn't just a mistake; it becomes a self-made trap, like strong cords woven from habits, that ultimately holds them captive.
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After passionately warning against the seductive allure of adultery, the teacher shifts to the inevitable consequences for the unfaithful man. This verse paints a vivid picture of how his own repeated sinful actions become inescapable traps, binding him so tightly that he can no longer break free. His future is already sealed by the very sins he indulged in, leading him toward a downfall he can't escape.
Ever feel like you're stuck, unable to break free from bad habits or wrong choices? This verse paints a vivid picture of why that happens.
Proverbs 5:22 uses powerful imagery to show how sin ultimately traps the sinner. The phrase 'ensnare him' suggests being caught in a hunter's trap or net. It's not an external force acting upon the wicked, but their own actions that create the snare.
The Trapper Becomes Trapped
Think of it like weaving a net. Each sinful act adds another strand. Initially, these strands might seem loose and easy to break. But with each repetition, they tighten, multiply, and strengthen until the individual is completely entangled. The 'iniquities' themselves become the instruments of capture. There's no outside predator; the wicked person is caught by their own deeds.
We often think we're in control, able to stop sinning whenever we choose. But this verse reveals a more serious reality about how sin binds us.
The second part of the verse, 'and he is held fast in the cords of his sin,' deepens the imagery of entrapment. These aren't just loose strands anymore; they are 'cords' – strong, binding restraints. What are these cords?
From Choice to Chains
Commentators note that repeated sin doesn't just lead to guilt; it leads to habit, and habit can become a form of bondage. The 'cords' represent the ingrained patterns, desires, and compulsions that sin creates. The person who initially 'chose' to sin finds that those choices have woven a prison around them, making escape feel impossible. They become 'tied and bound' by the very things they once pursued freely.
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Understand the original words
avon · Hebrew Noun
Acts of perversion, twisting, or moral deviation from God’s standard. It implies guilt resulting from willful rebellion or crookedness in one's moral path.
rasha · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Those who are morally guilty, rebellious against God’s laws, and walking in opposition to His wisdom. They are characterized by a lack of righteousness.
lakad · Hebrew Verb
To trap, catch, or entangle. Biblically, it describes how sinful choices naturally result in consequences that restrain, destroy, or imprison the sinner.
habeli chatta't · Hebrew Noun phrase
A state of being bound or captured; specifically, the self-imposed restriction caused by persistent sinful choices. It illustrates how sin functions like ropes that immobilize and eventually ruin a person.
chatta't · Hebrew Noun
Moral failure, error, or missing the mark of God’s standard. It refers to both the act of violating God's law and the resulting state of alienation from Him.
This passage echoes the Proverbs verse by describing how wicked actions lead to self-destruction, as those who plot evil end up trapped by their own schemes.
Isaiah 5:18This verse uses similar imagery of 'cords' to describe the consequences of sin, warning that those who pursue wrongdoing will be bound by their iniquities as if by ropes.
Jeremiah 13:23This passage directly addresses the difficulty of escaping ingrained sin, posing the rhetorical question of whether an Ethiopian can change his skin or a leopard its spots, highlighting how sin can become an inescapable part of one's nature.
Romans 6:16This New Testament passage parallels the idea of being enslaved by sin, explaining that whoever you obey becomes your master, whether it's sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness.
Galatians 6:7This verse presents the principle of sowing and reaping, which strongly supports the idea in Proverbs that actions have inevitable consequences, and individuals will reap what they have sown, including the snares of their own sin.
pulpitProverbs 5:22: "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins."
Verses 22, 23. - The fearful end of the adulterer. From the universal statement of God's omniscience and the Divine judgment, the teacher passes to the fate of the profligate. His end is inevitable ruin and misery. The deep moral lesson conveyed is that sin carries with it its own Nemesis. Adultery and impurity, like all sin of which they are forms, are retributive. The career o…
clarkeProverbs 5:22: "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins."
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.
What's easy to miss here is that the wicked person isn't just caught by some external force, but is bound by the very things they've woven themselves – their own repeated actions. Sin isn't just a mistake; it becomes a self-made trap, like strong cords woven from habits, that ultimately holds them captive.
After passionately warning against the seductive allure of adultery, the teacher shifts to the inevitable consequences for the unfaithful man. This verse paints a vivid picture of how his own repeated sinful actions become inescapable traps, binding him so tightly that he can no longer break free. His future is already sealed by the very sins he indulged in, leading him toward a downfall he can't escape.
After passionately warning against the seductive allure of adultery, the teacher shifts to the inevitable consequences for the unfaithful man. This verse paints a vivid picture of how his own repeated sinful actions become inescapable traps, binding him so tightly that he can no longer break free. His future is already sealed by the very sins he indulged in, leading him toward a downfall he can't escape.
"The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin." — What's easy to miss here is that the wicked person isn't just caught by some external force, but is bound by the very things they've woven themselves – their own repeated actions. Sin isn't just a mi…
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Last reviewed October 2026