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Numbers 25:8,9
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel…

as a bird

Proverbs 1:17
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

Ecclesiastes 9:12
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; soare the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

knoweth

Proverbs 9:18
But he knoweth not that the deadare there;and that her guestsare in the depths of hell.

like a bird darting into a snare
This simile illustrates the naivety and impulsiveness of one who falls into temptation. Birds, often used in biblical literature to symbolize innocence or vulnerability, are unaware of the danger until it is too late. This imagery is consistent with other biblical warnings about the deceptive nature of sin (James 1:14-15). The snare represents the traps set by sin and temptation, which are often hidden and alluring, leading to spiritual entrapment and destruction.

not knowing it will cost him his life
This phrase underscores the ignorance and blindness of those who pursue sinful paths. It serves as a warning about the ultimate cost of sin, which is spiritual death and separation from God. This echoes the teachings of Jesus, who warned about the broad path leading to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). The lack of awareness or understanding of the consequences is a common theme in wisdom literature, emphasizing the need for discernment and the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).

•Proverbs 7 unfolds as a father warns his son to treasure God’s commands so that “wisdom will keep you from the adulteress” (Proverbs 7:1–5; cf.Proverbs 6:20–29).

• The woman’s smooth words (Proverbs 7:13–21) lure the naïve young man “like cattle going to the slaughter” (v. 22). Verse 23 describes the tragic end—an outcome as certain as it is avoidable (Proverbs 5:22–23;James 1:14-15).

• Picture the sudden flight of an arrow—once released it cannot be recalled. In the same way, sexual sin seemingly pleasurable in the moment carries consequences that strike deep and fast (Psalm 38:2;Lamentations 3:13).

• The liver, viewed in ancient times as a vital organ sustaining life, underlines the mortal danger: sin is not a harmless pastime but a fatal wound (Romans 6:23).

• Additional fallout Scripture mentions:

– Physical: disease or violent reprisal (Proverbs 6:34-35).

– Emotional: shame and loss of honor (Proverbs 5:9-11).

– Spiritual: estrangement from God (Isaiah 59:2;1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

• A bird sees bait, not the trap. The young man sees momentary pleasure, not the bondage waiting on the other side (Ecclesiastes 9:12;2 Timothy 2:26).

• The proverb exposes three snares:

– Deception—he “follows her impulsively” (Proverbs 7:22); truth is suppressed (Romans 1:24-25).

– Speed—choices made in haste leave no room for prayerful discernment (Proverbs 19:2).

– Captivity—the snare closes; escape must come from the Lord, not self-effort (Psalm 124:7).

• Sin blinds its victim; he walks forward unaware of the price tag (Hosea 4:6).

• “Life” includes:

– Physical well-being—jealous spouses, disease, financial ruin (Proverbs 6:27-29).

– Moral integrity—broken covenants damage family and witness (Malachi 2:13-16).

– Eternal destiny—persistent, unrepented sin proves deadly (Galatians 6:7-8;Revelation 21:8).

• Only repentance and faith restore what sin destroys (1 John 1:9;John 10:10).

Proverbs 7:23 paints a three-step tragedy: a sudden lethal wound, an unseen trap, and a life-ending cost. Scripture presents the scene not merely as warning but as reality: sin wounds deeply, ensnares quickly, and kills ultimately. Receiving God’s wisdom, guarding one’s heart, and fleeing youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22;Psalm 119:9) turn a potential victim into one who walks in freedom and life.

That it is for his life.--i.e., at the cost of it, when "his flesh and body are consumed," and remorse has seized upon him (Proverbs 5:11).

Ἔχθιστον ἔχων ὑποκάρδιον ἕλκος
Κύπριος ἐκ μεγάλας τὸ οἱ ἥπατι πᾶξε βέλεμνον.
"Beneath his breast
A hateful wound he bore by Cypris given,
Who in his liver fixed the fatal dart." Delitzsch would relegate the hemistich to the end of the verse, making it denote the final result of mad and illicit love. The sense thus gained is satisfactory, but the alteration is quite arbitrary, and unsupported by ancient authority.As a bird hasteth to the snare. This is another comparison (seeProverbs 1:17, the first proverb in the book, and note there).And knoweth not that it is for his life;i.e. the infatuated youth does not consider that his life is at stake, that he is bringing upon himself, by his vicious rashness, temporal and spiritual ruin (Proverbs 5:11).

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