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Mark Dunagan Commentaries

Ecclesiastes 10:8

"He who digs. pit may fall into it, and. serpent may bite him who breaks through. wall.""The outlook behind these pointed remarks is not fatalism…but elementary realism…..We are urged to use our minds, and to look. little way ahead. For there are risks bound up with any vigorous action, and the person we call accident-prone has usually himself to blame, rather than his luck. He should have known; he could have taken care" (Kidner p. 91).

The verse also suggests that no matter how careful. person might be, he or she may fall into the pit they dug, and they might be surprised by. snake on the other side of the wall they are demolishing. Some suggest that this verse is teaching the idea that those who plot evil against others often have their plans backfire on them (see Psalms 7:15; Ecclesiastes 9:15; Ecclesiastes 10:2; Ecclesiastes 37:7-15; Ecclesiastes 57:6; Amos 5:18-19; Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiastes 28:10). Hence this verse might be giving "some comfort to the just counselor who is competing for royal favor against. scheming climber" (Garrett p. 335).

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See also Ecclesiastes 10:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 10 This chapter contains a series of proverbs, expressing the wisdom and prudence of the natural man. Here are a number of observations and all show that there is a practical value in wisdom a...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 9:17 TO ECCLESIASTES 10:15. EXPERIENCE CRYSTALLISED IN PROVERBS. Ecclesiastes 9:17 to Eccle

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HEDGE. a wall built of loose stones without mortar. Hebrew. _gader,_ used especially of sheep-folds (Numbers 32:16; Numbers 32:24; Numbers 32:36;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it_ It is scarcely a profitable task to endeavour to trace a very close connexion between this and the preceding verses. The writer has got into what we may call...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND WHOSO BREAKETH AN HEDGE— _And whoso forceth his way through a hedge._ See the _Observations,_ p. 217. To shew that such a choice as that mentioned in the 7th verse is not only an evil, but likewis...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. Failures in life result from lack of Wis. 10:8-11 TEXT 10:8-11 8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    PRACTICAL ADVICE TOUCHING LIFE'S PUZZLES 1-8. Cultivate wisdom and tact, specially in the dangers that attend upon courts, but also in ordinary operations....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בֹּ֣ו יִפֹּ֑ול וּ פֹרֵ֥ץ גָּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    FOURTH SECTION The Quest Achieved. The Chief Good Is To Be Found, Not In Wisdom, Nor In Pleasure, Nor In Devotion To Affairs And Its Rewards; But In A Wise Use And A Wise Enjoyment Of The Present Li...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    How, then, does worldly wisdom work? The preacher shows that its first manifestation is discretion based upon selfishness. This section is a series of brief sayings which are of the nature of proverbs...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Him. Those who disturb the state or the Church, shall be in danger._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. (9) Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereb...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

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  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him._ Ver. 8. _He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it._] As heedless huntsmen do. He that being of base...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He that diggeth a pit_, &c. The meaning of these verses, which may be considered as common proverbs, is, that those who are seeking and striving to injure others, often bring mischiefs thereby on the...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    IN THE MIDST OF PRESUMPTION AND ARROGANCE...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    He that diggeth a pit, indulging in dangerous work, SHALL FAIL INTO IT, that is, he who courts danger must expect it to strike him; AND WHOSO BREAKETH AN HEDGE, or a stone fence, in whose crevices rep...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

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  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    HE THAT DIGGETH A PIT with this design, that another may unawares fall into it, SHALL FALL INTO IT; shall through God's just judgment be destroyed by his own wicked devices. BREAKETH AN HEDGE; whereby...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 10:8 digs H2658 (H8802) pit H1475 fall H5307 (H8799) breaks H6555 (H8802) wall H1447 bitten...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTING THOUGHTFULLY AND WITH GREAT CARE WITH REGARD TO THE AFFAIRS OF LIFE (ECCLESIASTES 10:8). Ecclesiastes 10:8 ‘He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

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  • Sermon Bible Commentary

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  • Summarized Bible Commentary

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  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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  • The Biblical Illustrator

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  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 10:8 The various disasters described in vv. Ecclesiastes 10:8 are all accidental, so the one WHO DIGS A PIT is

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 10:5. AS AN ERROR WHICH PROCEEDETH FROM THE RULER.] Not a mere error, as such, but one which is manifest by its consequences—caprices of despotism like those described i...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 10:1 Section 11. _A little folly mars the effect of wisdom, _and is sure to make itself conspicuous. ECCLESIASTES 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to sen...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter 10: Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking odor: so does a little folly to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor (Ecclesiastes 10:1). There are cert...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    An hedge — Whereby another man's fields or vineyards are distinguished, that he may either take away their fruits, or enlarge his own fields....

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Old Testament