Proverbs 26:27

“Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, etc.] 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 (<190715>Psalm 7:15,16); 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…”

“Rolleth a stone - The illustration refers, probably, to the use made of stones in the rough warfare of an earlier age. Compare Judges 9:53; 2 Samuel 11:21. The man is supposed to be rolling the stone up to the heights. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Rolleth - Up the hill with design to do mischief to some person. Next: Proverbs Chapter 27”

“26:27 People usually receive the bad consequences they intend for others (see 1:17-19).”

“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 Proverbs 26:28”

“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 כּרה, vid., at Pro 16:27. בּהּ 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…”