Proverbs 22:5 (KJV)

Passage

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Proverbs 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and 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 the lender.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thorns", "snares", "froward", "doth", "keep", "soul", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thorns" and "snares", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "By humility and the fear of the..." into verse 6's "Train up a child in the way...", so "thorns" and "snares" 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 "thorns" and "snares" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.