Proverbs 4:15 (LSB)

Passage

Avoid it, do not pass by it; Stray from it and pass on.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:13 Seize discipline; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.

Proverbs 4:14 Do not enter the path of wicked men And do not step into the way of evil men.

Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Stray from it and pass on.

Proverbs 4:16 For they do not sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "avoid", "pass", and "stray". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "avoid" and "pass", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Do not enter the path of wicked..." into verse 16's "For they do not sleep unless they...", so "avoid" and "pass" 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 "avoid" and "pass" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.