Lexical Summary gummats: Pit, cistern, or reservoir Original Word: גּוּמָּץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pit Of uncertain derivation; a pit -- pit. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a pit NASB Translation pit (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גּוּמָּץ noun masculine pit (Aramaic loan-word, compare גּוּמְצָא,  ; Late Hebrew גּוּמָּצָא compare BaNB 66, Anm.I), Ecclesiastes 10:8 חֹפֵר בּוֺ יִמּ֑וֺל ׳ג he that diggeth a pit shall fall in to it; so also Proverbs 26:27 ᵑ7 ᵑ6 where HCT כֹּרֶה שַׁחַת . Topical Lexicon Overview of the Term The Hebrew noun גּוּמָּץ (Strong’s 1475) designates a hollow gouged in the ground—most naturally translated “pit.” Although the word occurs only once in the Old Testament, it evokes a rich complex of ideas already familiar in Scripture: danger hidden beneath the surface, moral retribution, and the sovereignty of God in judging and delivering. Scriptural Context in Ecclesiastes 10:8 Ecclesiastes 10:8 places גּוּמָּץ within a pair of cause-and-effect proverbs: “Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a serpent” (Berean Standard Bible). Here the term points to a trap dug for another person, yet it is the plotter who ultimately suffers harm. Solomon’s observation reinforces a recurring biblical principle that schemes of violence rebound upon their authors (Psalm 7:15; Proverbs 26:27). Ancient Near Eastern Background Pits served multiple purposes in antiquity—water storage, tombs, imprisonment, animal snares. To dig a hole large enough for someone to fall into would have signified premeditated malice. Archaeological data from Canaanite and Israelite sites show collapsed cisterns and hunting pits lined with stones or stakes, underscoring both the practicality and the peril of such features. Theological Themes 1. Divine Justice: The verse aligns with God’s moral order, where sowing and reaping are inseparable (Galatians 6:7). A secretly prepared גּוּמָּץ becomes an instrument of poetic justice. Practical Ministry Applications • Counseling: Warn against manipulative behavior; harmful plotting entraps the plotter. Christological Echoes and Gospel Framework While Ecclesiastes speaks of pits in terms of retribution, the gospel reveals Christ willingly descending into the deepest “pit” of death (Psalm 88:6, typologically) on behalf of sinners. He emerged victorious, emptying the grave of its power (Acts 2:24). Thus believers who by nature deserve to fall into their own pits are rescued through substitutionary atonement (Colossians 1:13-14). Related Biblical Motifs • Pit as Prison: Joseph in the cistern (Genesis 37:24) prefigures unjust suffering ultimately reversed by God. Study and Teaching Suggestions 1. Trace the motif of pits across Scripture to highlight continuity in divine justice. By meditating on גּוּמָּץ, readers gain a vivid symbol of sin’s boomerang effect and God’s unchanging moral governance, while finding fresh incentive to walk in uprightness through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations גּוּמָּ֖ץ גומץ gūm·māṣ gūmmāṣ gumMatzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 10:8 HEB: חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בּ֣וֹ יִפּ֑וֹל NAS: He who digs a pit may fall KJV: He that diggeth a pit shall fall INT: digs A pit may fall breaks 1 Occurrence |
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