The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, that he may decline from the ruin of death.

The teaching of the wise man is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning men away from the nets of death.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To depart from the snares of death.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, so that he may turn aside from the ruin of death.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life - Perhaps it would be better to translate, "The law is to the wise man a fountain of life." It is the same to him as the "vein of lives," מקור חיים mekor chaiyim, the great aorta which transmits the blood from the heart to every part of the body. There seems to be here an allusion to the garden of paradise, to the tree of lives, to the tempter, to the baleful issue of that temptation, and to the death entailed on man by his unwisely breaking the law of his God.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life,.... Or "doctrine" (n); the doctrine of those who are taught by the word, and are wise unto salvation; the words or doctrines of the wise, which are given forth by one Shepherd; the instructions of such who are like Scribes, well instructed themselves unto the kingdom of heaven: these are as a fountain of living water; which are the means of quickening dead sinners, and of reviving and refreshing the souls of weary saints; and bring life and immortality to light, and point and lead to eternal life: and so direct souls
to depart from the snares of death; the snares of sin, Satan, and the world, to shun and avoid them; with which men being entangled, are brought to destruction and death.
(n) "doctrina", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schultens.

The rule by which the wise regulate their conduct, is a fountain yielding life and happiness.

(Compare Proverbs 10:11).
fountain--or, "source of life."
to depart--(compare Proverbs 1:2-4), or, "for departing," &c., and so gives life.

14 The doctrine of the wise man is a fountain of life,
To escape the snares of death.
An integral distich, vid., p. 8 of the Introduction. Essentially like 14a, Proverbs 10:11 says, "a fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous." The figure of the fountain of life with the teleological 'לסור וגו (the ל of the end and consequence of the action) is repeated Proverbs 14:27. The common non-biblical figure of the laquei mortis leads also to the idea of death as יקוּשׁ a fowler, Psalm 91:3. If it is not here a mere formula for the dangers of death (Hitzig), then the proverb is designed to state that the life which springs from the doctrine of the wise man as from a fountain of health, for the disciple who will receive it, communicates to him knowledge and strength, to know where the snares of destruction lie, and to hasten with vigorous steps away when they threaten to entangle him.

The law - The instruction, or counsel; as the word law, is frequently understood in scripture.