Thorns of Protection Against Perversity

Proverbs 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. 

There are many challenges in life, however, we have the ability to make things much more difficult for ourselves. The thorns and snares in Proverbs 22:5, are present because of the individual’s choice to behave in a way that is unacceptable and opposes the will of God. This does not refer to difficulties due to time and chance or even bad decisions from time to time, but rather a purposeful decision to pursue an ungodly path; one that follows after the lust of the flesh. On the other hand, the one who is purposeful in guarding their soul will distance themselves from these snares and thorns.

The thorns and snares in the way of the perverse make it difficult to move forward in life in any kind of godly and positive way. The father warns the son of this on multiple occasions in the Proverbs.

In Proverbs 1 the father warns the son of the danger of the enticement of sinners. “My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.” Proverbs 1:15-16 

In Proverbs 2 the father warns the son of the danger of the way of evil, the man who speaks perverse things, those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, those who rejoice in doing evil, those who delight in the perversity of the wicked, those whose ways are crooked, those who are devious in their paths, the immoral woman, and the seductress who flatters with her words. Proverbs 2:12-16

To follow the paths the father warns against in Proverbs 1 and 2, is to make our journey here full of the thorns and snares that will keep one entangled and trapped in unrighteousness.

However, the attribute of thorns may be to our advantage when applied to wisdom. Not the thorns or snares that are symbolic of ungodly consequences that come from a purposeful pursuit of evil, but the characteristics of the actual thorn itself.

The writer says, “He who guards his soul will be far from them (thorns and snares). The word guard or keep means to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.: –

Just as the thorns created by evil adversely affect our path in life, the thorns created by wisdom protect our soul. Thorns of protection guarding our heart keep evil and perversity out, therefore, we do not make ungodly choices that result in soul hindering consequences.

Choose the way of wisdom rather than perversity.