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27 The one who digs a pit[a] will fall into it;
the one who rolls a stone—it will come back on him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:27 sn The verse is teaching talionic justice (“an eye for an eye,” etc.), and so the activities described should be interpreted as evil in their intent. “Digging a pit” would mean laying a trap for someone (the figure of speech would be a metonymy of cause for the effect of ruining someone, if an actual pit is being dug; the figure would be hypocatastasis if digging a pit is being compared to laying a trap, but no pit is being dug). Likewise, “rolling a stone” on someone means to destroy that individual.

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.(A)

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