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Daily Devotions

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 
Day 
Day 142

"He who digs a pit will fall into it"

Text: Ecclesiastes 10:8

PROVERBIAL SAYINGS

Solomon began writing by making careful observations of life. He advanced his writing work when he began to write what we may call “proverbial sayings”. These are based on his observations of life. In general, proverbial sayings contain some wisdom.

“He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.”
Ecclesiastes 10:8

1. “He who digs a pit will fall into it”

a) The person who digs a pit.

i) He may be digging a pit because he is a hunter.

ii) Pits are dug and covered lightly in the hope of catching an animal.

b) Digging a pit

i) In proverbial usage this is a reference to traps laid for unsuspecting victims.

ii) Deception and cunning are used extensively.

iii) The perpetrator hopes to entrap some naive people.

c) Danger that he may pose for himself.

i) The person who plots and plans in this nefarious way endangers himself.

ii) He may become a victim himself.

iii) “Poetic justice” may be done one day.

2. “And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent”

a) The person who breaks through a wall:

i) This was an old-fashioned method of a house break-in.

ii) Walls were not very strong in the ancient days.

iii) Some have mud-walls.

b) It was not uncommon for snakes (serpents) to make a home in some houses.

c) The home of the house-owner may also be the nest of a serpent.

d) The would-be burglar may be bitten by the serpent.

e) The proverbial wisdom intended:

i) Don’t do crime.

ii) It does not pay.

iii) One may get bitten to death.