Ecclesiastes 10:8

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

חפר חֹפֵר

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

חפר

châphar

Definition

properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore; dig, paw, search out, seek.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2658

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

חָפַר

verb • Root חפר • Strongs / High • Page 513

1. to dig, to excavate, to dig for. 2. Figuratively, to search out, spy out, to explore.

חָפַר

verb • Root חפר • Strongs / High • Page 513

To become red, with shame; to be ashamed, to be put to shame.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

חָפַר

verb • Page 241

I. 1. to dig. Gen. 21:30. Ecc. 10:8. 2. to lay snares, to dig a pit for any one. Ps. 35:7. 3. to espy, discover. Job 39:29. Deut. 1:22.

חָפַר

verb • Page 241

II. to blush, to be ashamed; generally denoting to be made ashamed, to be frustrated in one's expectation. Ps. 35:4, 26. 40:15. Job 11:18.

Verb Qal participle active masculine singular absolute

LXX: ὤρυξαν ὤρυξεν κατασκοπεῦσαι ὤρυξα

LXX Usage Statistics

H2658:

ὤρυξαν 6× (26.0%)

ὤρυξεν 3× (13.3%)

κατασκοπεῦσαι 2× (8.9%)

ὤρυξα 2× (7.6%)

גומץ גּוּמָּץ

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

גומץ

gûwmmâts

Definition

a pit

Root

of uncertain derivation;

Exhaustive

of uncertain derivation; a pit; pit.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1475

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

גּוּמָץ

noun masculine • Root גמץ • Consonantal / Medium • Page 314

The deep pit.

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

גּוּמָּץ

noun masculine • Page 133

pit. Once Ecc. 10: 8.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H1475:

No stats available

בו בּוֹ

within himself

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ב

bə

Definition

in, by

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(beth) — in / within / by means of

Core value: interiority, enclosure, participation

ב does not primarily mean “in time” (“when”) or even “in space.” It marks being inside a domain, whether that domain is:
- spatial (house, land),
- conceptual (wisdom, covenant),
- modal (strength, fear),
- instrumental (by means of).
Aonically, ב marks immersion.
not “when X happened” but “within the state or field of X.”
This is why ב־יום does not need to mean “on the day (chronological)” but “within the day-realm / condition”.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ו

Definition

him, personal pronoun - verb/prep. 3rd person masculine singular

Root

Exhaustive

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H9033

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

בְּ

preposition • Page 84

A preposition with various meanings: 4. by (swearing, Gen. 22:16); 5. through (Num. 12:2); 6. upon (Num. 14:10); 7. to a place or thing (Judg. 6:35); 8. against (Gen. 16:12); 9. concerning (after 'to speak'); 10. out of, from (Gen. 44:5); 11. among; 12. before (Gen. 23:18); 13. for (Deut. 19:21); 14. on account of (Gen. 18:28); 15. after, according to (Gen. 1:26); 16. as (Job 34:36); 17. used with verbs of sense; 18. Beth essentiae (Jehovah is among my helpers, Ps. 118:7); 19. before an infinitive: when, while, after, since (Gen. 2:4).

בּ

prefix • Page 83

A prefix preposition with various meanings: 1. In or into a place/subject. 2. With, denoting an instrument, aid, or concomitance. 3. On, at, or near.

וְ

prefix • Root היה • Page 195

A prefix, as in וַיִּקְתֹּל (he killed). Usually called Vav conversivum futuri. It is most probably a contraction of the old form הָוָה or הָוֵי i. q. הָיָה.

וְ

conj. and prefix • Page 194

Vav copulativum. Signifies a nail, peg, hook. Used as: 1. merely connective (and, also); 2. adversative (but, yet - Gen. 17:21); 3. illative (since, wherefore - Gen. 26:27, Ruth 1:21); 4. causal (for - Gen. 20:3, Is. 39:1); 5. to express result/consequence (that - Num. 23:19).

Preposition -Within Art, Suffix pronominal third person masculine singular

יפול יִפּוֹל

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

נפל

nâphal

Definition

to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פלל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5307

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

נָפַל

verb • Root נפל • Strongs / High • Page 979

I. (not used) intr. to be large, tall, thick, strong, powerful, of the body.

נָפַל

verb • Root נפל • Strongs / High • Page 980

To fall, sink down, lie prostrate. Can refer to people, objects (buildings, mountains), lightning, etc. Metaphorically: to perish in war or by famine; to befall or happen to someone; to fail (a promise); to be cast (a lot); to prostrate oneself in worship or submission; to encamp; to defect to an enemy.

נָפַל

verb • Root נפל • Strongs / High • Page 981

To fall, lie, be prostrate, perish; to be allotted; to cast lots; to make the countenance fall, look gloomy; to let a promise fall, i.e., not to fulfil it; generally to let fall, to desist from.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

נֵפֶל

noun masculine • Root נפל • Page 450

Verbal from נָפַל; an untimely birth, an abortion (Job 3:16, Ps. 58:9, Ecc. 6:3). Comp. Arabic abortus.

נָפַל

verb • Page 449

1. to fall (spoken of a house, city, or in war); to fall sick (Ex. 21: 18). 2. to descend as a revelation; to fall on one (sleep or terror); to fall away; to be cast as a lot; to fall to anyone in a division; to be inferior to; to be vain or fruitless; to fall out (turn out); to fall/sink in despondency; to fall into ruin. 3. (voluntary) to fall on the neck (embrace); to prostrate one's self; to fall on a sword; to fall upon (attack). Refs: Gen. 15: 12; 33: 4; Num. 34: 2; Job 1: 15; Ps. 78: 64.

נָפַל

verb • Page 450

To surprise (Josh. 11:7); to leap down, alight (Gen. 24:64, 2 K. 5:21); to encamp, spoken of a host (Judg. 7:12); to dwell (Gen. 25:18); also to be accepted (Jer. 37:20, 42:2). Hiphil (הִפִּיל): to let fall (Num. 35:23); to throw down (Deut. 25:2, Dan. 11:12); to fell, as trees (2 K. 3:19, 25); to cast, as the lot (Ps. 22:19); to distribute (Josh. 13:6, Ezek. 45:1); to cause to be unfulfilled (1 Sam. 3:19); to present a prayer (Jer. 38:26, Dan. 9:18); to let the countenance fall, to look gloomy (Jer. 3:12); to bring forth (Is. 26:19); to leave off, to cease (Judg. 2:19). Hithpael: to throw one's self down (Deut. 9:18, 25); to fall on any one (Gen. 43:18).

Verb Qal imperfect third person masculine singular

LXX: ἔπεσεν πεσοῦνται πεσεῖται ἔπεσαν ἔπεσον

LXX Usage Statistics

H5307:

ἔπεσεν 49× (10.4%)

πεσοῦνται 46× (10.2%)

πεσεῖται 30× (6.6%)

ἔπεσαν 23× (4.9%)

ἔπεσον 13× (2.7%)

'' 13× (2.6%)

ἐμπεσεῖται 11× (2.5%)

ἐπέπεσεν 11× (2.5%)

--- 9× (2.1%)

πέσῃ 6× (1.4%)

ופרץ וּפֹרֵץ

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

פרץ

pârats

Definition

to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

lemma פרץ missing vowel, corrected to פרץ; a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative); [idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H6555

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

פָּרַץ

verb • Root פרץ • Strongs / High • Page 1196

1. To make a breach in a thing; to break through (a gate, a wall), to rend asunder, to scatter; to rush upon with violence and might; to break through same as to exceed beyond measure; to press strongly upon one, to urge importunately. 2. Metaphorically: to spread, to increase, to overflow, to be abundant; fig. to be known, spread abroad.

פָּרַץ

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1200

(not used) intr. to break through, to break forth, to be precipitated, of a rushing stream.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

פָּרַץ

verb • Page 555

To tear or break forth (Gen. 38:29). 1. to break down (a wall). 2. to scatter (an army). 3. intrans. to spread itself or increase (Gen. 28:14). 4. to break in (Job 28:4). 5. to urge with entreaties (1 Sam. 28:23). 6. to overflow. 7. to act with violence (Hos. 4:2). Includes Niph., Pu., and Hithpa. forms.

Conjunction, Verb Qal participle active masculine singular absolute

LXX: διέκοψεν καθεῖλεσ διακοπὴ κατέσπασεν ἐβιάσατο

LXX Usage Statistics

H6555:

διέκοψεν 3× (6.2%)

καθεῖλεσ 3× (5.9%)

διακοπὴ 2× (4.1%)

κατέσπασεν 2× (3.5%)

ἐβιάσατο 2× (3.5%)

ηὐξήθη 2× (3.5%)

גדר גָּדֵר

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

גדר

gâdêr

Definition

a circumvallation; by implication, an inclosure

Root

from H1443 (גדר);

Exhaustive

from גדר; a circumvallation; by implication, an inclosure; fence, hedge, wall.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1447

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

גָּדֵר

noun proper • Root גדר • Strongs / High • Page 308

(a place protected by a wall, fortress). As a proper noun, a city in Judah, in full form בֵּית־גָּדֵר. Also a term used in Phenician for a walled place, as in Gadir, Gades, and Agadir.

גָּדֵר

noun proper • Strongs / High • Page 308

(fortress; also spelled גְּדוֹר) n. p. of a town in the mountains of Judah. Also another town of the same name in Peraea.

גָּדֵר

noun proper masculine • Strongs / High • Page 308

(enclosure, shutting up). n. p. m. found in 1 Chr. 8, 31 & 9, 37. Possibly related to Mount Machaerus.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

גָּדֵר

noun masculine • Root גדר • Page 131

1. wall. Mic. 7:11. Ezek. 13:5. Num. 22:24. Ecc. 10:8. Is. 5:5. 2. place walled in, place of protection. Ezra 9:9.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: φραγμὸν φραγμὸσ αὐτῆσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H1447:

φραγμὸν 2× (13.3%)

φραγμὸσ 2× (13.3%)

αὐτῆσ 2× (10.1%)

ישכנו יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ

settle down

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

נשך

nâshak

Definition

to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loan

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loan; bite, lend upon usury.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5391

ו

Definition

him, personal pronoun - verb/prep. 3rd person masculine singular

Root

Exhaustive

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H9033

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

נָשַׁךְ

verb • Strongs / High • Page 995

trans. to pierce, to cut into, to cut off; hence to bite, of a serpent; metaphorically to inflict injury, to oppress; to lend on usury.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

וְ

prefix • Root היה • Page 195

A prefix, as in וַיִּקְתֹּל (he killed). Usually called Vav conversivum futuri. It is most probably a contraction of the old form הָוָה or הָוֵי i. q. הָיָה.

וְ

conj. and prefix • Page 194

Vav copulativum. Signifies a nail, peg, hook. Used as: 1. merely connective (and, also); 2. adversative (but, yet - Gen. 17:21); 3. illative (since, wherefore - Gen. 26:27, Ruth 1:21); 4. causal (for - Gen. 20:3, Is. 39:1); 5. to express result/consequence (that - Num. 23:19).

Verb Qal imperfect third person masculine singular, Suffix pronominal third person masculine singular

LXX: ἐκτοκιεῖσ δήξεται

LXX Usage Statistics

H5391a:

ἐκτοκιεῖσ 3× (19.0%)

δήξεται 2× (11.7%)

נחש נָחָשׁ׃

a serpent

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

נחש

nâchâsh

Definition

a snake (from its hiss)

Root

from H5172 (נחש);

Exhaustive

from נחש; a snake (from its hiss); serpent.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H5175

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

נָחָשׁ

noun masculine • Root נחש • Strongs / High • Page 929

Ethiopic name (Nahas) corresponding to the Hebrew letter Nun.

נָחָשׁ

masculine noun • Strongs / High • Page 963

1. A serpent, sea-serpent, or water monster. 2. The constellation of the northern dragon (Draco). 3. A proper name of a city. 4. A masculine proper name, meaning 'oracle-giver'.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

נָחָשׁ

noun masculine • Page 438

1. a serpent. Gen. 3: 1 ff. Ex. 4: 3. 7: 15. 2. the serpent or dragon, a constellation between the greater and lesser bear. Job 26: 13. 3. proper name of a city otherwise unknown. 1 Chr. 4: 12.

Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: ὄφισ ὄφιν ὄφεωσ ὄφεισ ὡσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H5175:

ὄφισ 11× (32.3%)

ὄφιν 7× (20.3%)

ὄφεωσ 5× (14.3%)

ὄφεισ 3× (8.8%)

ὡσ 2× (6.5%)

ὄφει 2× (5.5%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
He digging a ditch shall fall into it; he breaking down a wall, a serpent shall bite him.

LITV Translation:
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and one breaking a wall, a snake may bite him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; And him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.