7:23a

until an arrow pierces his liver: This line describes a deer that is caught in a noose. When the hunter finds it, he shoots an arrow into its heart to kill it.

liver: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as liver represents the place in the body where the animal’s life is located. The New Revised Standard Version translates it as “entrails.” Some modern versions, such as the Good News Translation, translate it as “heart,” because an arrow that is shot into the heart normally kills an animal.

7:23b

like a bird darting into a snare: This phrase refers to a small bird that flies swiftly into a snare or trap that is baited with grain.

7:23c

not knowing it will cost him his life: This phrase refers to the young man, not to the bird. He did not realize that he would die as a result of what he was about to do. As in 2:18a, the phrase translated as cost him his life probably refers to physical death.

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