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

He that diggeth a pit ... - the wrong done to others recoils on the perpetrators themselves (); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (; ; ). Image from pitfalls laid for wild beasts; the maker might readily fall into his own pit, as it was covered with branches.

A serpent shall bite him - as when one is stung by a serpent lurking in the stones of his neighbour's garden or vineyard wall (), which he maliciously pulls down (): cf. the prohibition (; ).

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