Ecclesiastes 10:8
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Original Language Analysis
חֹפֵ֥ר
He that diggeth
H2658
חֹפֵ֥ר
He that diggeth
Strong's:
H2658
Word #:
1 of 8
properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore
יִפּ֑וֹל
shall fall
H5307
יִפּ֑וֹל
shall fall
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
4 of 8
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
וּפֹרֵ֥ץ
into it and whoso breaketh
H6555
וּפֹרֵ֥ץ
into it and whoso breaketh
Strong's:
H6555
Word #:
5 of 8
to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative)
Cross References
Proverbs 26:27Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.Amos 5:19As 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 9:3And 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:Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.2 Samuel 17:23And 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.Judges 9:5And 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.
Historical Context
Ancient agriculture involved both pit-digging (for storage, water collection, or animal traps) and stone wall construction (boundary markers and livestock enclosures). Both tasks carried real dangers—unstable pits could collapse, and snakes nested in wall crevices. The wisdom here applies practical observation to moral teaching: actions have consequences, often ironic ones. Early church fathers saw this verse as warning against heresy—those who undermine doctrinal boundaries risk spiritual destruction. The Reformers applied it to political intrigue and religious persecution, noting that persecutors often faced similar fates.
Questions for Reflection
- What "pits" have you dug—harmful schemes or gossip—that might backfire, and how does this verse counsel different behavior?
- How does this principle of consequences challenge both naive optimism ("I can harm others without suffering") and fatalistic pessimism ("random bad things just happen")?
Analysis & Commentary
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it—this proverbial wisdom warns that harmful schemes often backfire on their perpetrators. The Hebrew choreh gumatz (חֹרֶה גּוּמָץ, digs a pit) refers to trap-digging, while yipol-bo (יִפָּל־בּוֹ, falls into it) describes poetic justice. Proverbs 26:27 parallels this: "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein." The second line adds another danger: whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him—poretz gader (פֹּרֵץ גָּדֵר, breaks through a wall) risks encountering serpents sheltering in stone walls.
This wisdom operates on two levels:
The principle appears throughout Scripture: Haman hanged on his own gallows (Esther 7:10), Babylon's violence returned upon her (Habakkuk 2:8). Jesus warned that those who use the sword perish by it (Matthew 26:52).