whoever digs a pit will fall into it

The now commonly-used German proverb wer (anderen) eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein, meaning any evil planned for others will come back to oneself was first coined in 1534 in the German Bible translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Zetzsche)

Other languages where this also has become a proverb which is based on Bible translations as well include Dutch (Wie een kuil graaft voor een ander… valt er zelf in, Danish (den, der graver en grav for andre, falder tit selv i den), Norwegian (Den som graver en grav, faller selv i den), French (Qui creuse un piège pour autrui y tombe), Spanish (El que cava una fosa para su prójimo, caerá en ella), Italian (Chi scava la fossa agli altri, ci cade dentro), or Latin (Qui fodit foveam alteri, incidet in eam).

complete verse (Proverbs 26:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 26:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who sets a trap for others may be caught in it
    and a stone a person pushes to others, will crush him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into that very pit.
    Whoever rolls a rock,
    it will be on him that the rock rolls.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The one-who-digs a hole/pit so-that others will-fall, he himself will-fall. The one-who-rolls a stone so-that others will-be-rolled-upon, he himself will-be-rolled-upon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “One who digs a pit, he is the very one who will fall-in (lit. be-placed-inside), if he rolls- a rock -over/down, it-will-return and will crush him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who dig a deep pit for other people to fall into will fall into it themselves;
    rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down to crush someone.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 26:27

The first part of this saying expressed in different terms is found in Psa 7.15 (Hebrew verse 16). The thought expressed here is that the person who plans someone else’s downfall will be crushed by his own evil.

“He who digs a pit will fall in to it”: “A pit” refers to a hole, a ditch, or a similar opening in the ground. It may be necessary in translation to make clear that the “pit” is dug to trap someone other than the digger; for example, “If you dig a pit to catch somebody, you will fall into it yourself.”

“And a stone will come back upon him who starts it rolling”: This line parallels the first by referring to a person who causes a “stone” to start rolling downhill (to crush somebody below). It is important that the reader understand that this refers to a round, heavy stone. “Will come back upon him who . . .” means “will roll backward upon the person pushing the stone.” Note that Good News Translation has shifted to “set traps” in line 1 and “start landslides” in line 2. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “He who digs a grave falls into it; and the one who makes a rock roll is crushed by the rock.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .