Psalms 119:85

85 The proud have digged pits for me, which is not according to thy law.

Psalms 119:85 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:85

The proud have digged pits for me
Laid snares and temptations in his way, to draw him into sin, and so into mischief; they sought indeed to take away his life, and formed schemes for it. The allusion is to the digging of pits for the taking of wild beasts; which shows the ill opinion they had of David, and their ill usage of him; see ( Psalms 7:15 ) ( 9:15 ) ;

which [are] not after thy law;
no, contrary to it; which forbids the digging of a pit, and leaving it uncovered, so that a neighbour's beast might fall into it, ( Exodus 21:33 Exodus 21:34 ) ; and if those might not be dug to the injury of beasts, then much less to the injury of men, to the hurt of the servants of the Lord, or to the shedding of innocent blood, which the law forbids.

Psalms 119:85 In-Context

83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; I do not forget thy statutes.
84 How many shall be the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
85 The proud have digged pits for me, which is not according to thy law.
86 All thy commandments are faithfulness. They persecute me wrongfully: help thou me.
87 They had almost consumed me upon the earth; but as for me, I forsook not thy precepts.

Footnotes 1

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.