Proverbs 22:5 (DRB)

Passage

Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul, departeth far from them.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:3 The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss.

Proverbs 22:4 The fruit of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life.

Proverbs 22:5 Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul, departeth far from them.

Proverbs 22:6 It is a proverb: A young man according to his way, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor: and the borrower is servant to him that lendeth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "arms", "swords", "perverse", "keepeth", "soul", and "departeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "arms" and "swords", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "The fruit of humility is the fear..." into verse 6's "It is a proverb A young man...", so "arms" and "swords" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "arms" and "swords" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.