Proverbs 6:2
if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed here is the deliberate repetition of "words of your mouth." It's not just about what you say, but how your very own words become a net, catching you unexpectedly and holding you fast in consequences you didn't anticipate.
This passage is a stark warning about the dangers of rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt. The verses immediately preceding this one advise against striking hands for a stranger, and this verse explains the consequence: your own words, spoken in a moment of impulsive agreement, become a trap that ensnares and holds you captive to an obligation you may not be able to fulfill. This entanglement results from your own spoken promises, a self-inflicted wound that leads to a loss of freedom and financial ruin.
Ever feel like you've walked right into a trap? The writer of Proverbs says it's often your own words that set the snare.
This verse paints a vivid picture: you're not just caught, you're snared and then taken. The first word suggests being caught off guard, like an animal stepping into a hidden pit. The second word implies being struck and held fast, unable to escape. And the source of this trap? 'The words of your mouth.'
This isn't about accidental slips of the tongue. It's about promises, agreements, and commitments made carelessly. When you rashly pledge your support or guarantee a debt (as context suggests), your spoken word becomes a binding obligation. You become entangled, no longer free, held captive by the very commitments you made.
What does it truly mean to be 'taken' by your words? It means losing your freedom and becoming bound.
The context of Proverbs 6 points to becoming surety for another person's debt. When you guarantee a loan or pledge to cover someone else's obligation, you are essentially putting yourself in their place if they fail to pay.
Your words create a new reality: you are no longer just a friend offering help; you are now legally and morally bound. The casual agreement has become a snare, turning your freedom into a form of bondage to another person's financial responsibility. This highlights the profound weight and consequence that our spoken commitments carry.
Understand the original words
yaqosh · Hebrew Verb
To be trapped, ensnared, or ensnared by one's own speech or commitments; it highlights the biblical emphasis on the power and consequence of words.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Proverbs 6:2, highlighting that control over one's speech is difficult but crucial, as even a small word can have immense consequences.
Matthew 12:37Jesus' words here emphasize the accountability for every idle word spoken, mirroring the idea that our words can create snares and lead to judgment, much like the entangled surety.
Proverbs 18:7This verse provides a parallel to Proverbs 6:2, stating that 'A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul,' directly linking spoken words to harmful entrapment.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6This passage warns against making hasty vows or promises to God that you cannot keep, underscoring the danger of being 'snared by the words of your mouth' and the consequence of being found a liar.
pulpitProverbs 6:2: "Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth."
Verse 2. - Thou art snared with the words of thy month, etc.; i.e. the inevitable consequence of an inconsiderate undertaking of suretyship is that you become entangled and involved by your own premises, and hampered by self-imposed obligations. The Authorized Version rightly regards this as the conclusion. So the Vulgate. Others, however, carry on the hypothesis, and insert im, "if:" "If th…
henryProverbs 6:1-5: "My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,"
6:1-5 If we live as directed by the word of God, we shall find it profitable even in this present world. We are stewards of our worldly substance, and have to answer to the Lord for our disposal of it; to waste it in rash schemes, or such plans as may entangle us in difficulties and temptations, is wrong. A man ought never to be surety for more than he is able and willing to pay, and can…
What's easily missed here is the deliberate repetition of "words of your mouth." It's not just about what you say, but how your very own words become a net, catching you unexpectedly and holding you fast in consequences you didn't anticipate.
This passage is a stark warning about the dangers of rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt. The verses immediately preceding this one advise against striking hands for a stranger, and this verse explains the consequence: your own words, spoken in a moment of impulsive agreement, become a trap that ensnares and holds you captive to an obligation you may not be able to fulfill. This entanglement results from your own spoken promises, a self-inflicted wound that leads to a loss of freedom and financial ruin.
This passage is a stark warning about the dangers of rashly becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt. The verses immediately preceding this one advise against striking hands for a stranger, and this verse explains the consequence: your own words, spoken in a moment of impulsive agreement, become a trap that ensnares and holds you captive to an obligation you may not be able to fulfill. This entanglement results from your own spoken promises, a self-inflicted wound that leads to a loss of freedom and financial ruin.
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"if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth," — What's easily missed here is the deliberate repetition of "words of your mouth." It's not just about what you say, but how your very own words become a net, catching you unexpectedly and holding…
