His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.
Read Chapter 5
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Let those who are bound fear, those who are loosed fear. Let those who are loosed be afraid of being bound; those who are bound pray to be loosed. “Each one is tied up in the threads of his own sins.” And apart from the church, nothing is loosed.
Clothed as you are in the rotten garments of your offenses and “held fast in the meshes of your own sins,” listen to the prophet’s voice saying, “Wash yourselves clean! Put away the misdeeds of your souls from before my eyes,” that the angelic choir may chant over you: “Happy [are] they whose faults are taken away, whose sins are covered.”
Ropes. "Evil habits unrestrained induce a necessity "(St. Augustine, Confessions viii. 5.) though not absolute. (Haydock)
The libertine thinks he can get free as soon as he pleases; not being aware of the chains which he is forging for himself. (Calmet)
Sin requires punishment. (Menochius)
I have previously said that we are punished by God because of our sins, and now I say that we are punished by ourselves. Both are true. We are, indeed, punished by God, but we act so that he has to punish us. Since we ourselves cause our own punishment, who doubts that we punish ourselves for our own crimes? For, whoever gives cause for his punishment punishes himself, according to the saying, “Each one is bound by the rope of his own sins.” Therefore, if evil people are bound by the ropes of their own sins, each and every sinner, doubtless, binds himself when he sins.
