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Christian Standard Bible ®

Ecclesiastes 10:9

The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;the one who splits logs may be endangered by them.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Log;   Poetry;   Quarry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cleave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cemetery;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 18;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered thereby.
King James Version
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
English Standard Version
He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
New American Standard Bible
One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
New Century Version
anyone who moves boulders might be hurt by them; and anyone who cuts logs might be harmed by them.
Amplified Bible
He who quarries stones may be hurt with them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.
World English Bible
Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered thereby.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that remooueth stones, shall hurt himselfe thereby, and hee that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby.
Legacy Standard Bible
He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.
Berean Standard Bible
The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.
Contemporary English Version
You could even get hurt by chiseling a stone or chopping a log.
Complete Jewish Bible
He who quarries stones may get hurt by them, he who chops wood puts himself in danger.
Darby Translation
Whoso removeth stones is hurt therewith; he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
Easy-to-Read Version
If you are moving large stones, you might be hurt by them. If you cut down a tree, you are in danger of it falling on you.
George Lamsa Translation
He who removes landmarks shall suffer pain by them; and he who cuts trees shall be wounded by them.
Good News Translation
If you work in a stone quarry, you get hurt by stones. If you split wood, you get hurt doing it.
Lexham English Bible
Whoever quarries stones will be wounded by them. Whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
Literal Translation
Whoever pulls out stones may be hurt with them; he who splits trees may be endangered by them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so remoueth stones, shall haue trauayle withall: and he that heweth wod, shalbe hurt therwith.
American Standard Version
Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
Bible in Basic English
He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
King James Version (1611)
Who so remoueth stones, shall be hurt therewith: and hee that cleaueth wood, shalbe endangered thereby.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who so remoueth stones, shall haue trauayle withall: and he that heweth wood, shalbe hurt therwith.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
English Revised Version
Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.
Update Bible Version
Whoever cuts out stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that splits wood is endangered thereby.
Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever removeth stones shall be hurt by them; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered by it.
New English Translation
One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
New King James Version
He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
New Living Translation
When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.
New Life Bible
He who cuts stones may be hurt by them. And he who cuts trees may be in danger by them.
New Revised Standard
Whoever quarries stones will be hurt by them; and whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that removeth stones, may be hurt therewith, - and he that cleaveth wood, may be endangered thereby.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
Revised Standard Version
He who quarries stones is hurt by them; and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
THE MESSAGE
Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.

Contextual Overview

4If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post,for calmness puts great offenses to rest. 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler: 6The fool is appointed to great heights,but the rich remain in lowly positions. 7I have seen slaves on horses,but princes walking on the ground like slaves. 8The one who digs a pit may fall into it,and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;the one who splits logs may be endangered by them.10If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,then one must exert more strength;however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success. 11If the snake bites before it is charmed,then there is no advantage for the charmer.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Psalms 7:15 - and is

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.
Genesis 6:11
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness.
Genesis 13:13
(Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely against the Lord.)
Genesis 25:27
When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
Genesis 27:30
As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had left the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau arrived from his hunting.
2 Chronicles 28:22
At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the Lord.
Psalms 52:7
“Here is the manwho would not make God his refuge,but trusted in the abundance of his riches,taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”
Jeremiah 16:16
“I am about to send for many fishermen”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and they will fish for them. Then I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and out of the clefts of the rocks,
Ezekiel 13:18
Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on the wrist of every hand and who make veils for the heads of people of every size in order to ensnare lives. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?
Micah 7:2
Faithful people have vanished from the land;there is no one upright among the people.All of them wait in ambush to shed blood;they hunt each other with a net.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith,.... That carries them from the quarry, where they are dug; or takes them from a heap, where they lie; or that attempts to pull them out of a building, where they are put; or removes them from places, where they are set as boundaries and landmarks; all which is troublesome, and by which men get hurt; the stones fall upon them, or are too heavy for them, or they do what they should not do, and so bring themselves into trouble; as do all such persons who are for removing the boundaries of commonwealths and communities, and for changing laws, and altering constitutions;

[and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby; of cutting himself: so he that soweth discord among brethren, that makes divisions in families, neighbourhoods, kingdoms, and churches; see Proverbs 6:16

Romans 16:18. Jarchi renders it, "shall be warmed" or "heated", according to the sense of the word, as he thinks, in 1 Kings 1:2; though he understands it of being profited by studying in the law and the commandments; of which he interprets the clause; and Ben Melech observes, that the word so signifies in the Arabic language; and Mr. Broughton renders it, "shall be heated thereby". The Targum paraphrases it,

"shall be burnt with fire, by the hand of the Angel of the Lord:''

or, however, he may be overheated and do himself hurt, as men, that kindle the flame of contention and strife, often do.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The figures seem to be taken from the work of building up and pulling down houses. In their general application, they recommend the man who would act wisely to be cautious when taking any step in life which involves risk.

Ecclesiastes 10:8

Breaketh an hedge - Rather: “breaks through a wall.”

Serpent - The habit of snakes is to nestle in a chink of a wall, or among stones (compare Amos 5:19).

Ecclesiastes 10:9

Be endangered - Rather: “cut himself.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:9. Whoso removeth stones — This verse teaches care and caution. Whoever pulls down an old building is likely to be hurt by the stones; and in cleaving wood many accidents occur for want of sufficient caution.


 
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