Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 1:17
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
17. in vain ] Because, whereas by the certain destruction which it portends, the net ought to deter the bird from yielding to the solicitations of appetite, the temptation of the bait prevails, and the warning of the visible net is unheeded. “So,” in their unheeding regard of manifest warning, “are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain” (). His devices against others ( Pro 1:11-12) are really devices against himself Pro 1:18. “In the net which they hid is their own foot taken” (Psa 9:15).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Strictly speaking, this is the first proverb (i. e., similitude) in the book; a proverb which has received a variety of interpretations. The true meaning seems to be as follows: For in vain, to no purpose, is the net spread out openly. Clear as the warning is, it is in vain. The birds still fly in. The great net of Gods judgments is spread out, open to the eyes of all, and yet the doers of evil, willfully blind, still rush into it. Others take the words as pointing to the failure of the plans of the evil-doers against the innocent (the bird): others, again, interpret the proverb of the young man who thinks that he at least shall not fall into the snares laid for him, and so goes blindly into them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.] This is a proverb of which the wise man here makes a particular use; and the meaning does not seem as difficult as some imagine. The wicked are represented as lurking privily for the innocent. It is in this way alone that they can hope to destroy them and take their substance; for if their designs were known, proper precautions would be taken against them; for it would be vain to spread the net in the sight of those birds which men wish to ensnare. Attend therefore to my counsels, and they shall never be able to ensnare thee.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The design of these words is to set forth the folly of these men by the similitude of a bird, which yet is very variously applied and understood by divers interpreters. But I shall not confound the reader with the rehearsal of them. This clause, in vain, upon the understanding whereof the whole depends, may be understood, either,
1. In respect of the fowler. So the sense is, The fowler who spreads his net in the sight of the bird loseth his labour, because the bird, perceiving the danger, will not be tempted to come to the bait, but flees away from it. But, or yet, these (as the first words of the next verse may well be, and by the Chaldee translator are, rendered) are more foolish than the silly birds; and though they are not ignorant of the danger and mischief which these evil courses will bring upon themselves, which I have here represented, yet they will not take warning, but madly rush upon their own ruin. Or,
2. In respect of the bird. So the sense is, The silly bird, although it see the spreading of the net, yet is not at all instructed and cautioned by it, but through the greediness of the bait rusheth upon it, and is taken by it. And these men are not one jot wiser, but albeit they know and find that by these practices they expose themselves to the justice of the magistrate, and to the vengeance of God, the sad effects whereof they daily see in the destruction of their brethren in iniquity, yet they will boldly and madly run themselves into the same miseries. Both ways the sense comes to the same,
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17-19. Men warned ought toescape danger as birds instinctively avoid visibly spread nets. Butstupid sinners rush to their own ruin (Ps9:16), and, greedy of gain, succeed in the very schemes whichdestroy them (1Ti 6:10), notonly failing to catch others, but procuring their own destruction.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Or “without cause” y, as the word is rendered in Pr 1:11; and so the words are an illustration of the preceding; showing that the blood of innocent persons is shed without cause, no injury being done by them to those that do it, but is shed without any provocation at all; just as the net is spread for the innocent bird, which has done no harm to the fowler that seeks to take it; so Gersom: or else the sense is, that though the net is spread by the fowler even in the sight of the bird, yet it is in vain to the bird, though not to the fowler; it is so intent upon the corn that is spread about, that it takes no notice of the net, and so is caught in it; and thus it is with those men that are bent upon their sinful practices, upon theft and murder, though their ruin and destruction are before their eyes; and they daily see their companions in iniquity come to an untimely end; they know that they are liable to suffer death by the hand of the civil magistrate, and to be followed by the justice and vengeance of God, and suffer eternal punishment; yet take no warning hereby, but rush on to their own ruin, as follows.
y “sine causa”, Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The second argument in support of the warning.
For in vain is the net spread out
In the eyes of all (the winged) birds.
The interpretation conspersum est rete , namely, with corn as a bait, which was put into circulation by Rashi, is inadmissible; for as little as ( Hiph. of ) can mean to strew, can mean to spread. The object is always that which is scattered ( gestreut ), not that which is spread ( bestreut ). Thus, expansum est rete , but not from , extendere , from which
(Note: The MS Masora remarks , and hence is written defectively in the Erfurt, 1, 2, 3, Frankf. 1294, in the edition of Norzi and elsewhere.)
in this form cannot be derived (it would in that case be ), but from , pass. of , to scatter, spread out. The alluring net, when it is shaken out and spread, is, as it were, scattered, ventilatur . But if this is done incautiously before the eyes of the birds to be caught, they forthwith fly away. The principle stress lies on the (before the eyes) as the reason of the (in vain), according to the saying of Ovid, Quae nimis apparent retia, vitat avis . The applicatio similitudinis lying near, according to J. H. Michaelis, is missed even by himself and by most others. If the poet wished to say that they carried on their work of blood with such open boldness, that he must be more than a simpleton who would allow himself to be caught by them, that would be an unsuitable ground of warning; for would there not be equally great need for warning against fellowship with them, if they had begun their enticement with more cunning, and reckoned on greater success? Hitzig, Ewald, Zckler, and others, therefore interpret , not in the sense of in vain, inasmuch as they do not let themselves be caught; but: in vain, for they see not the net, but only the scattered corn. But according to the preceding, (the net) leads us to think only either of the net of the malicious designs, or the net of the alluring deceptions. Thus, as Ziegler has noticed, the warned ought to make application of the similitude to himself: Go not with them, for their intention is bad; go not with them, for if the bird flees away from the net which is spread out before it, thou wilt not surely be so blind as suffer thyself to be ensnared by their gross enticements. : the furnished with the wing (wings in Ecc 10:20); forms the idea of property (lord).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(17) Surely in vain . . .The second reason: their folly in so doing, for God will bring punishment upon them; in the same net which they hid privily will their foot be taken (Psa. 9:15). Even birds are wiser than they. It is useless to spread a net in the sight of any bird.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17, 18. Surely in vain the net is spread Meaning, I have warned you against their devices. I have uncovered the snares to your sight, and you surely will not be more foolish than the thoughtless bird. Some, however, interpret thus: These plunderers rush on to certain ruin, as the bird descends into the net, though spread in its very sight. These critics deny that birds shun a net spread in their sight. To which it might be replied, some do, and others do not. Some birds, like some men, are more sagacious than others. This is one of the vexed passages.
Lay wait own blood For, be assured, whatever these men pretend, or expect, or promise, they are, in effect, lying in wait for their own blood, and lurking for the destruction of their own lives. Or, it may mean the blood and lives of those whom they seduce into their company: the first sense is generally preferred.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 1:17. Surely in vain, &c. The Syriac, which omits Pro 1:16., connects this with the 15th verse in this manner; And they fraudulently stretch and cast their net upon the bird. It reads, For the nets are not spread for the birds in vain: the LXX read unjustly instead of in vain; but that version seems forced and unnatural. For though it must be confessed, that the Hebrew word generally has this signification; yet that it also signifies in vain, appears from Eze 6:10. The proverb then is a tacit reflection upon the obstinacy and infatuation of those persons, qui vivi viventes pereunt, who will not be warned by any sight or sense of their danger to avoid it; and who in this respect act with less prudence and caution than the very birds themselves, who will not fall into the net which is spread before them. See Dr. Grey’s notes on the Proverbs. Other and different senses are given of this proverb; but, says Calmet, I prefer this: The wicked make haste to shed blood, and unjustly spread their nets before the birds; “They take the just by surprise, as they would take birds.” Schultens, however, thinks that this verse connects with the following one, thus; “There is no bird so stupid as to fly into a net spread immediately before its eyes; but these abandoned sinners spread with their own hands, immediately before their own eyes, those nets by which they willingly involve themselves in certain death and ruin: for they who lay snares for the blood of the innocent lay snares for themselves; and they who desire to swallow up the virtuous alive, as the grave, will themselves be swallowed up in that grave, and plunged in destruction.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
Ver. 17. Surely in vain the net. ] Which is to say, Silly birds pick up the meat, but see not the net, and so become a prey to the fowler. If the fruits of the flesh grow out of the trees of your hearts, saith blessed Bradford, a surely, surely the devil is at inn with you; you are his birds, whom when he hath well fed, he will broach you, and eat you, chew you, and champ you, world without end, in eternal woe and misery.
a Sermon of Repent., p. 70.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in vain, &c. = it avails not. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6. The sight of the net does not deter the birds. They (emphatic) still go on to their capture and death. The next verse requires this sense. So men go on in their evil ways, though they know it is to their own ruin (Pro 1:18).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
in vain: Pro 7:23, Job 35:11, Isa 1:3, Jer 8:7
sight of any bird: Heb. eyes of everything that hath a wing
Reciprocal: Pro 6:5 – as a bird Pro 6:6 – the ant Pro 12:12 – desireth Pro 29:5 – spreadeth Jer 5:26 – lay wait 1Ti 6:9 – snare 2Pe 3:17 – seeing
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 1:17. Surely in vain the net is spread, &c. Even the silly birds will not suffer themselves to be taken if the net be spread in their sight; therefore, be at least as wise as they, and shun that which, by repeated experience, is always known to end in ruin. Thus understood, the sentence connects with the preceding verse, and contains an argument to enforce the caution given to the young man, to shun the misery and ruin in which his hearkening to the counsel of sinners would involve him. But the sentence is considered by many commentators as connected with the following verse, and is interpreted thus: The fowler who spreads his net in the sight of the bird, loses his labour; but these sinners are more foolish than the silly birds, for, though they are not ignorant of the mischief which these evil courses will bring upon themselves, yet they will not take warning. Thus Schultens paraphrases the words: There is no bird so stupid as to fly into a net spread immediately before its eyes; but these abandoned sinners spread with their own hands, immediately before their own eyes, those nets by which they willingly involve themselves in certain death and ruin: for they who lay snares for the blood of the innocent, lay snares for themselves; and they who desire to swallow up the virtuous alive as the grave, they themselves will be swallowed up in that grave, and be plunged in destruction.