Proverbs 6:5
Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Open Proverbs 6:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Eruere quasi damula de manu, et quasi avis de manu aucupis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἵνα σώζῃ ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ
The Fathers on this verse
St Jerome Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus, The way of peace is through the wisdom taught in the Book of Proverbs, and through unity in the faith
“Foolish men, while they desire injuries, become impious and hate wisdom. Devise not evil against thy friend. Be not angry with a man without a cause. The impious exalt contumely. Remove from thee the evil mouth, keep far from thee the wicked lips, the eyes of him that speaketh evil, the tongue of the unjust, the hands which shed the blood of the just, the heart that deviseth evil thoughts, and the feet which hasten to do evil. He that resteth upon falsehood feedeth the winds, and followeth the flying birds. For he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and hath made the wheels of his tillage to err. He walketh through the dry and desert places, and with his hands he gathereth barrenness. The mouth of the froward is near to destruction, and he who uttereth evil words is the chief of fools. Every simple man is a soul that is blessed; but a violent man is dishonourable. …
St Basil The Letters, To Chilo, his disciple
2. Vain then is the labour of the righteous man, and free from blame is the way of the sinner, if a change befall, and the former turn from the better to the worse, and the latter from the worse to the better. So we hear from Ezekiel teaching as it were in the name of the Lord, when he says, “if the righteous turneth away and committeth iniquity, I will not remember the righteousness which he committed before; in his sin he shall die,” and so too about the sinner; if he turn away from his wickedness, and do that which is right, he shall live. …