The Meaning of Proverbs 1:15 Explained

Proverbs 1:15

KJV: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

YLT: My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,

Darby: my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;

ASV: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My son,  walk  not thou in the way  with them; refrain  thy foot  from their path: 

What does Proverbs 1:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 1:1-19 - "the Beginning Of Knowledge"
Notice the perfect balance of each clause, and the duplication of the one thought in the two clauses of each verse.
Wisdom as used in this book is more than intellectual learning or cleverness. It represents a moral quality, the result of a pure and a true life. We are conscious that many simple-minded people, who have little enough book-learning, are remarkable for sagacious advice, insight into character, the wise reading of events, an intuitive knowledge-all based on the fear of God. The headlines of Scotch copy-books used to be taken from this book. Certain it is that the young who ponder and practice these maxims can hardly fail of a successful career. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 1

1  The use of the proverbs
7  An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10  to avoid the enticing of sinners
20  Wisdom complains of her contempt
24  She threatens her contemners

What do the individual words in Proverbs 1:15 mean?

My son not do walk in the way with them Keep your foot from their path
בְּנִ֗י אַל־ תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם

בְּנִ֗י  My  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
תֵּלֵ֣ךְ  do  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ  in  the  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אִתָּ֑ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
מְנַ֥ע  Keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: מָנַע  
Sense: to withhold, hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, keep restrain, hinder.
רַ֝גְלְךָ֗  your  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם  from  their  path 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נָתִיב 
Sense: trodden with the feet, path, pathway.