Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 26:27

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

27. Comp. Psa 7:15-16; Sir 27:25-27 .

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Rolleth a stone – The illustration refers, probably, to the use made of stones in the rough warfare of an earlier age. Compare Jdg 9:53; 2Sa 11:21. The man is supposed to be rolling the stone up to the heights.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. Whoso diggeth a pit] See Clarke on Ps 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.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Whoso diggeth a pit, that another may fall into it. It is a metaphor from hunters, who used to dig deep pits, and then to cover them slightly with earth, that wild beasts passing that way might fall into them, and sometimes in the heat of pursuit fell into them themselves.

That rolleth a stone, to wit, up the hill, with design to do mischief to some person or thing with it.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

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 Ps 7:15;

and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him; that rolls a stone up hill, if he does not take care, it will return back, and fall with great force upon himself; so the mischief which a wicked man labours hard at, as men do in digging a pit, or rolling a stone, in time rolls back upon themselves; the measure they mete out to others is measured to them. Jarchi makes mention of an “hagadah”, or exposition, which illustrates this passage, by the case of Abimelech; who slew threescore and ten persons on one stone, and was himself killed with a piece of a millstone cast upon him, Jud 9:18; this may put in mind of the fable of Sisyphus o, feigned in hell to roll a great stone to the top of a mountain, which presently falling down on his head, made his labour fruitless.

o “Aut petis aut urges ruitum, Sisyphe, saxum”, Ovid. Metamorph. l. 4. v. 460.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

27 He who diggeth a pit falleth therein;

And he that rolleth up a stone, upon himself it rolleth back.

The thought that destruction prepared for others recoils upon its contriver, has found its expression everywhere among men in divers forms of proverbial sayings; in the form which it here receives, 27a has its oldest original in Psa 7:16, whence it is repeated here and in Ecc 10:8, and Sir. 27:26. Regarding , vid., at Pro 16:27. here has the sense of in eam ipsam ; expressed in French, the proverb is: celui qui creuse la fosse, y tombera ; in Italian: chi cava la fossa, cader in essa. The second line of this proverb accords with Psa 7:17 ( vid., Hupfeld and Riehm on this passage). It is natural to think of the rolling as a rolling upwards; cf. Sir. 27:25, , i.e., throws it on his own head. is to be syntactically judged of like Pro 18:13.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

      27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

      See here, 1. What pains men take to do mischief to others. As they put a force upon themselves by concealing their design with a profession of friendship, so they put themselves to a great deal of labour to bring it about; it is digging a pit, it is rolling a stone, hard work, and yet men will not stick at it to gratify their passion and revenge. 2. What preparation they hereby make of mischief to themselves. Their violent dealing will return upon their own heads; they shall themselves fall into the pit they digged, and the stone they rolled will return upon them,Psa 7:15; Psa 7:16; Psa 9:15; Psa 9:16. The righteous God will take the wise, not only in their own craftiness, but in their own cruelty. It is the plotter’s doom. Haman is hanged on a gallows of his own preparing.

———-nec lex est justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire sua– Nor is there any law more just than that the contrivers of destruction should perish by their own arts.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

(27) Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein,A simile taken from hunters making pits as traps for wild animals. The same doctrine of retribution being brought upon the sinners head by God the righteous Judge is taught in Psa. 7:11, sqq.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

27. Diggeth a pit That is, with evil intent.

Shall fall therein There are many facts illustrative of this proverb. Wicked men often involve themselves in the mischief they intend for others. Witness Haman, in the Book of Esther. Compare Ecc 10:8; Mat 7:2; Psa 9:15; Psa 37:8.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Pro 26:27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

Ver. 27. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall thereinto. ] This is the same with Psa 7:15 , from which it seems to be taken; See Trapp on “ Psa 7:15 “ Heathen writers have many proverbs to like purpose. See Erasm. Chiliad.

And he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. ] Cardinal Benno relates a memorable story of Pope Hildebrand, or Gregory VII, that he hired a base fellow to lay a great stone upon a beam in the church where Henry IV, the emperor, used to pray, and so to lay it that it might fall as from the top of the church upon the emperor’s head, and kill him. But while this wretch was attempting to do it, the stone, with its weight, drew him down, and falling upon him, dashed him in pieces upon the pavement. The Thracians in Herodotus, being offended with Jupiter for raining unseasonably upon them, shot up their arrows at him, which soon after returned upon their own heads.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

shall fall therein. Illustrations: Jacob, who deceived with a kid (Gen 27:14), was deceived by a kid (Gen 37:31, Gen 37:32); David and the sword (2Sa 11:14, 2Sa 11:15, and 2Sa 12:10); Haman and the gallows (Est 7:10; see Psa 9:16).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

diggeth: Pro 28:10, Est 7:10, Psa 7:15, Psa 7:16, Psa 9:15, Psa 10:2, Psa 57:6, Ecc 10:8

Reciprocal: Jer 18:20 – digged

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Pro 26:27. Whoso diggeth a pit That another may fall into it; shall fall therein Himself. For, by the righteous judgment of God, the wicked are not only generally disappointed in their designs, but involve themselves in that mischief which they intended to do to others: see on Psa 7:15; Psa 9:15. And he that rolleth a stone Namely, up a hill, with a design to do mischief to some person or thing with it; it will return upon him And greatly injure if not crush him to pieces.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments