Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The guilty union is committed by the will embracing the temptress. "Lust," the harlot, then 'brings forth sin,' that to which the temptation inclines. Then the particular sin [he hamartia], 'when completed, brings forth death,' with which it was all along pregnant (Alford). "Death" stands in striking contrast to the "crown of life" (James 1:12), which "patience" brings when it has its "perfect work" (James 1:4). He who fights Satan with Satan's own weapons must not wonder if he be overmatched. Nip sin in the bud of lust.