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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Ecclesiastes 10:8

If you dig a hole, you might fall into it. If you break down a wall, you might be bitten by a snake.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fence;   Pit;   Serpent;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fall;   Insecurity of the Wicked;   Righteous-Wicked;   Security-Insecurity;   Serpents;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hedges;   Serpents;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Fence;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hedge;   Serpent;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Serpent;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Hedge;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gardens;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fence;   Serpent;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - AḥiḴar;   Dinah;   Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Magdala;   Serpent;   Simeon ben Yoḥai;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 18;  

Parallel Translations

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.
Hebrew Names Version
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
King James Version
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
English Standard Version
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
New American Standard Bible
One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall.
New Century Version
Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it; anyone who knocks down a wall might be bitten by a snake;
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.
World English Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that diggeth a pit, shall fal into it, and he yt breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Legacy Standard Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may 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.
Contemporary English Version
If you dig a pit, you might fall in; if you break down a wall, a snake might bite you.
Complete Jewish Bible
He who digs a pit may fall into it; he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
Darby Translation
He that diggeth a pit falleth into it; and whoso breaketh down a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
George Lamsa Translation
He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and he who breaks a hedge will be bitten by a serpent.
Good News Translation
If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you.
Lexham English Bible
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. Whoever breaks through a wall, a snake will bite him.
Literal Translation
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and one breaking a wall, a snake may bite him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But he yt dyggeth vp a pytt, shall fall therin himself: & who so breaketh downe the hedge, a serpent shal byte him.
American Standard Version
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
Bible in Basic English
He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
King James Version (1611)
He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But he that diggeth vp a pitte, shall fall therin hym selfe: and who so breaketh downe the hedge, a serpent shall byte hym.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
English Revised Version
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
Update Bible Version
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
Webster's Bible Translation
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
New English Translation
One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
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 Living Translation
When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
New Life Bible
He who digs a deep hole may fall into it. And a snake may bite him who breaks through a wall.
New Revised Standard
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, may fall, - and, he that breaketh through a hedge, there may bite him a serpent.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Revised Standard Version
He who digs a pit will fall into it; and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
THE MESSAGE
Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

Contextual Overview

4 Don't quit your job simply because the boss is angry with you. If you remain calm and helpful, you can correct even great mistakes. 5 Here is something else that I have seen in this life that isn't fair. It is the kind of mistake that rulers make. 6 Fools are given important positions, while the rich get jobs that are not important. 7 I have seen servants riding on horses, while rulers were walking beside them like slaves. 8 If you dig a hole, you might fall into it. If you break down a wall, you might be bitten by a snake. 9 If you are moving large stones, you might be hurt by them. If you cut down a tree, you are in danger of it falling on you. 10 But wisdom will make any job easier. It is very hard to cut with a dull knife. But if you sharpen the knife, the job is easier. 11 Someone might know how to control snakes. But that skill is useless if a snake bites when that person is not around.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that: Judges 9:5, Judges 9:53-57, 2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 18:15, Esther 7:10, Psalms 7:15, Psalms 7:16, Psalms 9:15, Psalms 9:16, Proverbs 26:27

a serpent: Amos 5:19, Amos 9:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:33 - General Proverbs 11:6 - but Proverbs 11:18 - wicked Proverbs 23:32 - biteth Proverbs 28:10 - he shall Jeremiah 18:20 - digged Habakkuk 2:7 - bite

Cross-References

Micah 5:6
With swords in hand our leaders will defeat the Assyrians and rule the land of Nimrod. They will save us from the Assyrians when they come into our land and march through our territory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it,.... This and the three following clauses are proverbial expressions, teaching men to be wise and cautious, lest by their conduct they bring mischief upon themselves; as it often is, the one that digs a pit for another, falls into it himself, as the wise man's father before him had observed, Psalms 7:15; as kings that lay snares for their people, and subjects that plot against their sovereign; or courtiers that form schemes for the rain of those that are in their way; or any man that devises mischief against another, frequently so it is, that the same befalls them; as Haman, who prepared a gallows for Mordecai, was hanged on it himself;

and whoso breaketh an hedge a serpent shall bite him; which often lies hid in fences, in old walls, and rotten hedges s, Amos 5:19; so he that breaks down the hedges and fences of kingdoms and commonwealths, and breaks through the fundamental laws of a civil constitution, and especially that transgresses the laws of God, moral or civil, may expect to smart for it. Jarchi interprets this hedge of the sayings of their wise men, which those that transgress shall suffer death by the hand of heaven: but it would be much better to apply it to the doctrines contained in the word of God, which are a hedge and fence to the church of God, and whoever transgress them will suffer for it; see 2 John 1:8; The Targum, by the "serpent", understands an ungodly king, who bites like a serpent, into whose hands such transgressors shall be delivered: and some have thought of the old serpent the devil, as Alshech, who deceived Adam and Eve.

s Nicander apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 4. col. 26.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The figures seem to be taken from the work of building up and pulling down houses. In their general application, they recommend the man who would act wisely to be cautious when taking any step in life which involves risk.

Ecclesiastes 10:8

Breaketh an hedge - Rather: “breaks through a wall.”

Serpent - The habit of snakes is to nestle in a chink of a wall, or among stones (compare Amos 5:19).

Ecclesiastes 10:9

Be endangered - Rather: “cut himself.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:8. Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. — While spoiling his neighbour's property, he himself may come to greater mischief: while pulling out the sticks, he may be bit by a serpent, who has his nest there. Some have supposed that נחש nachash here means a thorn; perhaps from the similarity of its prick to the serpent's sting. He who forces his way through a hedge will be pricked by the thorns.


 
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