King James Version

Ecclesiastes 10:8

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

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Hebrew

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חֹפֵ֥רchofersearch outחָפַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “search out”, a verb used as a describing wordH2658properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to exploredig, paw, search out, seek.גּוּמָּ֖ץgumatspitגּוּמָּץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “pit”, the ordinary formH1475a pitpit.בּ֣וֹbvoinבּ֣וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”inיִפּ֑וֹלyipolfallנָפַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “fall”, an unfinished actionH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…וּפֹרֵ֥ץuforetsand breakפָּרַץconjunction, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and break”, a verb used as a describing wordH6555to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative)[idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge.גָּדֵ֖רgaderfenceגָּדֵרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fence”, the ordinary formH1447a circumvallation; by implication, an inclosurefence, hedge, wall.יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּyishkhenvbiteנָשַׁךְverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bite”, an unfinished actionH5391to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loanbite, lend upon usury.נָחָֽשׁnachashserpentנָחָשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “serpent”, the ordinary formH5175a snake (from its hiss)serpent.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth 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.

Darby Translation

He that diggeth a pit falleth into it; and whoso breaketh down a hedge, a serpent biteth him.

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖται· καὶ καθαιροῦντα φραγμὸν, δήξεται αὐτὸν ὄφις,