But they lie in wait for their own blood;They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. The Lockman Foundation, 1995, p. Pr 1:18–19.
We reach the conclusion of these sets of verse, 8-19. This segment in the first chapter is different, a short narrative, than much of the remaining book.
In verse 18 the father now plainly states what the preceding verses have been building toward. The sinners believe they are setting a trap for the innocent, but in reality, they are setting a trap for themselves.
The language of verse 18 directly mirrors verse 11. In verse 11, the sinners invite the son to join them in lying in wait for blood and ambushing the innocent. Here, the father reveals that they are actually lying in wait for their own blood and ambushing their own lives. The very violence they intend to inflict upon others will ultimately become their own undoing. Additionally, the illustration of the bird in verse 17 now becomes even more significant. Even a bird will avoid a trap that has been spread before its eyes. Yet the sinners, blinded by their greed, willingly rush toward a trap of their own making. Their desire for wealth prevents them from recognizing the consequences of their actions.
Verse 19 then broadens the lesson beyond the particular group of sinners described in the preceding verses. The father declares that this is the way of everyone who gains by violence. The warning is no longer limited to the specific invitation presented to the son. It is a general principle concerning the destructive nature of unjust gain. The sinners believe that taking the possessions of others will enrich their own lives. However, the father reveals that the very wealth they seek will ultimately take their lives. What they believe will bring them prosperity will instead bring about their destruction.
The sinners in Proverbs 1:11–19 are pursuing wealth at the expense of others, but the father reveals that the ultimate cost will be their own lives. Their greed, and their rebellion against Godly wisdom, has led them to value selfish material possessions above human life, including their own. The passage therefore concludes with a striking reversal. The sinners initially promise the son that joining them will bring wealth, companionship, and prosperity. The father reveals that following their path will instead lead to destruction.
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