The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 10:8 Explained

Ecclesiastes 10:8

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

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

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ecclesiastes 10:8 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 10

1  observations of wisdom and folly
7  death in life
9  and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 10:8 mean?

He who digs a pit into it will fall and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent
חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בּ֣וֹ יִפּ֑וֹל וּפֹרֵ֥ץ גָּדֵ֖ר יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּ נָחָֽשׁ

חֹפֵ֥ר  He  who  digs 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָפַר  
Sense: to dig, search for.
גּוּמָּ֖ץ  a  pit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גּוּמָּץ  
Sense: pit.
בּ֣וֹ  into  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִפּ֑וֹל  will  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
וּפֹרֵ֥ץ  and  whoever  breaks  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
גָּדֵ֖ר  a  wall 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּדֵר  
Sense: fence, wall.
יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּ  will  be  bitten  by 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשַׁךְ 
Sense: to bite.
נָחָֽשׁ  a  serpent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָחָשׁ  
Sense: serpent, snake.