Psalm 119:85

Verse 85. -- Let men beware how they dig pits for others. All God's word testifies against such wickedness. How many tests are invented simply for the purpose of entangling men's consciences and furnishing ground for persecution. --William S. Plumer.

Verse 85. -- Which are not after thy law. Hebrew, Not after thy law. It may refer to the men or to the practice. The men walk not according to thy law, and their fraudulent practices are not agreeable to thy law. The law of God condemned pits for tame beasts: Exodus 21:33 Exodus 21:84 . Though it was lawful for hunters to take wild beasts, yet they were to take heed that a tame beast fell not therein, at their petal. --Thomas Manton.

Verse 85. -- Which are not after thy law. After God's law they could not be while they were doing such things. Perhaps he refers to the deed more than to the men "The proud have digged pits for me, which is not after thy law" -- which is against thy law; and they would seem to do it because it is against thy law -- delighting in wickedness as they do. Such men would seem to imbibe the foul spirit which Milton ascribes to the fallen archangel: "Evil, be thou my good." Obviously, however, the words contain this sentiment, -- The proud have sought to overthrow me, because they are not obedient to thy law. Hereupon he sets their conduct in the light of God's holy commandments, that the comparison may be made: "All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully." Whatever the Lord did was done in truth; these men acted against his servant without cause, and in so doing they also acted in defiance of his known will. --John Stephen.

Verse 85. -- The wicked have told me fables, but mot as thy law (So the Septuagint). The special reason why he desires to be freed from the company of the wicked is, because they always tempt the pious by relating the pleasures of the world, which are nothing but fables, filthy, fleeting pleasures, more fallacious than real -- nothing like the grand and solid pleasure that always flows from a pious observance of the law of the Lord. -- Robert Bellarmine.

HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS

Verse 85. -- Pits; or, the secret schemes of wicked men against the godly.