Proverbs 26:27
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This proverb isn't just about bad luck; it highlights the deliberate effort in mischief. Whether digging a hidden pit or laboriously rolling a stone uphill for destruction, the text emphasizes the active, intentional energy a person expends to harm another. This reveals that when such plans backfire, it's not merely an accident but the direct, fitting consequence of their own chosen path.
This verse comes at the end of a chapter filled with pithy, often biting observations about fools and their folly. Proverbs 26 presents a series of warnings against acting like a fool, interacting with fools, and the consequences that inevitably follow. This final proverb summarizes the idea that schemes and malicious actions, rather than harming their intended victims, will boomerang back on the perpetrator.
Ever felt like your own schemes backfired? This ancient proverb paints a vivid picture of how ill intentions can boomerang.
The first image here is of someone digging a hidden pit. Think of ancient hunting traps, camouflaged to catch unsuspecting prey. But the proverb warns that the hunter himself, through carelessness or fate, might stumble into the very pit he dug.
This isn't just about literal traps. It speaks to any plan hatched in malice or deceit. The effort and cunning used to harm others can end up ensnaring the plotter. It’s a stark reminder that when we set traps for others, we might just be building our own prison.
Ever pushed something heavy, only for it to slip and threaten to crush you? This proverb uses that powerful image to describe the danger of malice.
The second part of the verse describes someone rolling a stone. Imagine the intense effort required to push a heavy boulder up a hill. The intention is often to send it crashing down on an enemy below. But the danger is that the stone might slip from one's grasp, lose momentum, and instead roll back with destructive force upon the person who started it.
This illustrates how actively pursuing harm against others can become a perilous endeavor. The energy and focus you put into destructive acts can easily turn back on you, causing far greater damage than you ever intended for your target.
This psalm uses the exact same imagery of digging a pit or preparing a snare, and declares that the wicked will fall into their own traps, directly echoing the proverb's warning.
Psalm 9:16This passage speaks of the LORD's justice where the wicked are ensnared by the work of their own hands, highlighting the principle of retributive justice that underlies the proverb.
Ecclesiastes 10:8This verse shares the principle that 'whoever digs a pit will fall into it,' reinforcing the idea that those who plot harm often become victims of their own schemes.
Esther 7:10This historical account provides a powerful example of the proverb's truth, as Haman is hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, illustrating how one's wicked plans can boomerang back on them.
Galatians 6:7This New Testament passage clearly articulates the principle of sowing and reaping, stating 'a man reaps whatever he sows,' which is the foundational concept behind the proverb's warning about the inevitable consequences of one's actions.
gillProverbs 26:27: "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him."
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein,.... That devises mischief against others, it shall come upon himself. The allusion is to the digging of pits for catching wild beasts, which are slightly covered with earth; and which sometimes the pursuers, through inadvertency, fall into themselves; the passage seems to be taken from Psalm 7:15 ; and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upo…
clarkeProverbs 26:27: "Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him."
Whoso diggeth a pit - See note on Psalm 7:15 . There is a Latin proverb like this: Malum consilium consultori pessimum, "A bad counsel, but worst to the giver." Harm watch; harm catch.
This proverb isn't just about bad luck; it highlights the deliberate effort in mischief. Whether digging a hidden pit or laboriously rolling a stone uphill for destruction, the text emphasizes the active, intentional energy a person expends to harm another. This reveals that when such plans backfire, it's not merely an accident but the direct, fitting consequence of their own chosen path.
This verse comes at the end of a chapter filled with pithy, often biting observations about fools and their folly. Proverbs 26 presents a series of warnings against acting like a fool, interacting with fools, and the consequences that inevitably follow. This final proverb summarizes the idea that schemes and malicious actions, rather than harming their intended victims, will boomerang back on the perpetrator.
This verse comes at the end of a chapter filled with pithy, often biting observations about fools and their folly. Proverbs 26 presents a series of warnings against acting like a fool, interacting with fools, and the consequences that inevitably follow. This final proverb summarizes the idea that schemes and malicious actions, rather than harming their intended victims, will boomerang back on the perpetrator.
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"Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling." — This proverb isn't just about bad luck; it highlights the deliberate effort in mischief. Whether digging a hidden pit or laboriously rolling a stone uphill for destruction, the text emphasizes the…
