Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam
“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.”
Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 10:8 (cf. Proverbs 26:27)
What does “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam” mean?
Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam translates as “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.”
People who set traps for others often end up caught themselves. Malice tends to come back to its source.
“Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Qui | who, whoever | nominative singular masculine of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod; subject of fodit |
| fodit | digs | third person singular present indicative active of fodio, “I dig” |
| foveam | a pit | accusative singular of fovea, “pit, trap”; object of fodit |
| incidet | will fall | third person singular future indicative active of incido, “I fall into” |
| in | into | preposition, here with the accusative to show motion into something |
| eam | it, that (pit) | accusative singular feminine of the pronoun is, ea, id; refers back to foveam |
How to pronounce “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam”
Classical has a hard c in incidet (in-KEE-det) and w for v; the Church version says in-CHEE-det and v. Stress falls on FO in fodit, on FO in foveam (a three-syllable word with a short second syllable) and on CI in incidet.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “who digs a pit, will fall into it”. It is a vivid image of a hunting trap: a hole dug to catch an animal or an enemy that swallows its own maker.
The wording is that of the Latin Vulgate, Jerome’s Bible translation, at Ecclesiastes 10:8. Proverbs 26:27 expresses the same thought in different words, and Psalms such as Psalm 7 use the same picture of a wicked person falling into the pit he has made.
Because it comes from Scripture, the saying spread through medieval and later preaching and proverb collections. English has close relatives in “he who digs a pit for others falls into it himself” and “hoist with his own petard”.
How to use “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam”
Fits a caption or card message about karma, poetic justice or a plot that backfires, and works as a desk motto or tattoo for someone who believes in fair play. It also suits an essay or speech on deceit, revenge or the cost of scheming.
- Latin
- Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam
- English
- Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.
- Source
- Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 10:8 (cf. Proverbs 26:27)
- Era
- Biblical
- Theme
- Justice
Common mistakes
- It is a warning about the consequences of harming others, not a promise that every wrongdoer is punished at once.
- The verb is incidet (future, “will fall”). Writing the present incidit, which actually reads as a perfect tense (“fell into”), changes the sense.
- Do not confuse fovea (“pit, trap”) with fovea as it appears in anatomy; the Latin word is the same but the medical meaning (a small pit in the retina) is a modern borrowing.
- The exact wording differs between Bible verses. Proverbs 26:27 uses different Latin, so quote the Ecclesiastes 10:8 form if you want this exact line.
Questions about “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam”
What does “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam” mean literally?
“Who digs a pit will fall into it.” Fovea is a pit or trap, and eam refers back to that same pit.
Where does “Qui fodit foveam” come from?
It is from the Latin Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 10:8. Proverbs 26:27 has a closely related saying.
How do you pronounce “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam”?
In Classical Latin: kwee FOH-dit FOH-weh-ahm in-KEE-det in EH-ahm. Church Latin changes the c of incidet to ch and the w to v.
Is “Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is grammatical Biblical Latin from the Vulgate. Use the full line, since cutting it short loses the second half, which carries the point.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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