Verse 17 is a single sentence saying and serves to introduce verse 18. The two verses are closely tied together as a contrast between birds that are not stupid and evildoers who are stupid. The opening word in Hebrew (“For” in Revised Standard Version) links these verses back to the warning in verse 15.

“In vain” translates an expression meaning “for no purpose,” “does no good,” “has no effect,” or “is useless.”

“Net is spread”: “Spread” renders a word that may mean spread out, or refer to the scattering of seed to bait a trap.

“In the sight” is literally “in the eyes of,” meaning “where the birds can see the trap.” “Any bird” is literally “possessor of wings”; it is a poetic expression like “winged creature” in English, and is used only here and in Eccl 10.20.

There are at least three ways to understand the meaning of verse 17 and the relation between verses 17 and 18. All are equally valid.

(1) Verse 17 can be understood to mean that birds won’t be caught in a trap they can see being set for them. And verse 18 means that evil people are setting their own trap and being caught in it. So the birds are wise and the sinners are blind and foolish.
(2) Even though the birds see the trap being baited for them, they pay no attention to the trap in order to get the bait (scattered seeds). The wicked in verse 18 are like the careless, hungry birds, so hungry for violence and wealth that they pay no attention to the trap they are setting for themselves.
(3) Verse 17 applies to the learner; that is, just as the bird avoids the trap it sees being set, so the learner will know how to avoid the dangers of life, and not be like the wicked people mentioned in verse 18.

Many modern versions favor the first understanding. For a model translation following this interpretation see Good News Translation. Another way of expressing this is: “Birds have the right thinking—if a bird sees a person setting a net, it won’t get caught.”

The Contemporary English Version footnote follows the third interpretation: “Be like a bird that won’t go for the bait, if it sees the trap.”

“But these men” refers to the wicked robbers described in verses 11-14 who tempt the learner to join them.

“Lie in wait” is the same expression as the one used in verse 11 where the wicked people lie in wait for other people’s blood. In verse 18 they prepare their own deaths.

There is a full parallelism in verse 18 in which the second line repeats the sense of the first line using other words. “Set an ambush” translates the same word used in verse 11. “For their own lives” translates “for their own souls [Hebrew nefesh]” meaning “for their own physical lives.”

Two ways in which we may render verse 18 are, for example:

• People who rob others set the trap that will destroy them. They lay an ambush to take away their own lives.
• Robbers are killed in their own traps. They are destroyed by their own ambushes.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .