Ecclesiastes 10:8
New International Version
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

New Living Translation
When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.

English Standard Version
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.

Berean Standard Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

King James Bible
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

New King James Version
He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.

New American Standard Bible
One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall.

NASB 1995
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

NASB 1977
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

Amplified Bible
He who digs a pit [for others] may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a [stone] wall.

Christian Standard Bible
The one who digs a pit may fall into it, and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The one who digs a pit may fall into it, and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

American Standard Version
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He who has dug a pit will fall into it and he that breaks a hedge, a snake will bite him

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.

Contemporary English Version
If you dig a pit, you might fall in; if you break down a wall, a snake might bite you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

English Revised Version
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it. Whoever breaks through a stone wall may be bitten by a snake.

Good News Translation
If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you.

International Standard Version
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall may suffer a snake bite.

JPS Tanakh 1917
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; And whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.

Literal Standard Version
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, | And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.

Majority Standard Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

New American Bible
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall, a snake may bite.

NET Bible
One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

New Revised Standard Version
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.

New Heart English Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a serpent.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

World English Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom and Folly
7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. 8He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.…

Cross References
Psalm 7:15
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.

Psalm 57:6
They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah

Proverbs 11:6
The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.

Proverbs 26:27
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Ecclesiastes 10:9
The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.

Amos 5:19
It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.


Treasury of Scripture

He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

that

Judges 9:5,53-57
And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself…

2 Samuel 17:23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

2 Samuel 18:15
And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

a serpent

Amos 5:19
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Amos 9:3
And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

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Ecclesiastes 10
1. observations of wisdom and folly
7. death in life
9. and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on














(8) Commentators cannot be said to have been very successful in their attempts to trace a connection between the proverbs of this chapter. Perhaps nothing better can be said than that the common theme of these proverbs is the advantage of wisdom, and here in particular of caution in great enterprises. It is forcing the connection to imagine that the enterprise from which the writer seeks to dissuade, is that of rebellion against the ruler whose error is condemned (Ecclesiastes 10:5).

Diggeth a pit.--See Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiasticus 27:26. The word here used for "pit" is found in later Hebrew, and nowhere else in the Old Testament.

An hedge.--Rather, a stone wall, in the crevices of which serpents often have their habitation. (Comp. Proverbs 24:31; Lamentations 3:9; Amos 5:19.) This verse admits of a curious verbal comparison with Isaiah 58:12, "builder of the breach," in one, answering to "breacher of the building" in the other. . . .

Verses 8-11. - Section 13. Various proverbs expressing the benefit of prudence and caution, and the danger of folly. The connection with what has preceded is not closely marked, but is probably to be found in the bearing of the maxims on the conduct of the wise man who has incurred the resentment of a ruler, and might be inclined to disaffection and revolt. They are intentionally obscure and capable of a double sense - a necessary precaution if the writer lived under Persian despots. Verse 8. - He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it. This proverb occurs in Proverbs 26:27, and, as expressive of the retribution that awaits evil-doers, finds parallels in Psalm 7:15, 16; Psalm 9:15; Psalm 10:2; Ecclus. 27:25, 26. The" pit" (gummats, ἅπαξ λεγόμενον) is such a one as was made to capture wild animals, and the maker of it is supposed to approach it incautiously, and to fall into it. But the scope of our passage is rather to speak of what may possibly occur than to insist on the Nemesis that inevitably overtakes transgressors. Its object is to inspire caution in the prosecution of dangerous undertakings, whether the enterprise be the overthrow of a tyrant, or any other action of importance, or whether, as some suppose, the arraignment of the providential ordering of events is intended, in which ease there would be the danger of blasphemy and impatience. And whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. The futures throughout vers. 8 and 9 are not intended to express certainty, as if the results mentioned were inevitable, but rather possibility, and might be rendered, with Delitzsch, "may fall," "may bite," etc. The "hedge" is rather a wall (Proverbs 24:31), in the crevices of which poisonous snakes have made their abode, which are disturbed by its demolition (comp. Ames 5:19). Nachash, here used, is the generic name of any serpent. The majority of the snakes found in Palestine are harmless; but there are some which are very deadly, especially the cobra and those which belong to the viper family. There is no allusion here to the illegal removal of landmarks, a proceeding which might be supposed to provoke retribution; the hedge or wail is one which the demolisher is justified in removing, only in doing so he must look out for certain contingencies, and guard against them. Metaphorically, the pulling down a wall may refer to the removal of evil institutions in a state, which involves the reformer in many difficulties and perils.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He who digs
חֹפֵ֥ר (ḥō·p̄êr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2658: To pry into, to delve, to explore

a pit
גּוּמָּ֖ץ (gūm·māṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1475: A pit

may fall into it,
יִפּ֑וֹל (yip·pō·wl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

and he who breaches
וּפֹרֵ֥ץ (ū·p̄ō·rêṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6555: To break through

a wall
גָּדֵ֖ר (gā·ḏêr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1447: A circumvallation, an inclosure

may be bitten
יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּ (yiš·šə·ḵen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5391: To strike with a, sting, to oppress with usury

by a snake.
נָחָֽשׁ׃ (nā·ḥāš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:8 He who digs a pit may fall (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 10:7
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