Psalms 119:85 Meaning: The Proud Dig Pits Against God's Law

The word for proud here is zed, the same root used for the arrogant and presumptuous. These are not merely confident people; they are those who refuse to submit to any authority, especially God's. They dig pits (shichot), a word that pictures hidden traps set by hunters for wild animals. The psalmist's enemies are not attacking openly; they are scheming in secret to ruin him. But the key phrase is contrary to your law (literally not according to Your instruction). The word torah here means direction or teaching. So the psalmist is making a legal accusation: these people are lawbreakers. Their actions are not just mean; they are a direct violation of God's revealed commands. This shifts the burden from the psalmist's personal hurt to a matter of divine justice. By naming the law, he reminds himself and God that the proud have no right to do what they are doing.

Christians across traditions agree that this verse describes real persecution from those who reject God's authority. Some early readings, like the Septuagint and Vulgate, took the pits as unholy fables or false teachings that lead people astray. Many Protestant commentators, such as Barnes and Gill, see them as literal plots and traps set by powerful enemies. The Cambridge Bible notes that the phrase contrary to your law points directly to the proud themselves: they are people who despise God's commands. Matthew Henry sees this as a type of the opposition Christ faced. Across these views, the consistent thread is that the proud are acting lawlessly, and the psalmist appeals to God's justice because His law has been broken. The verse gives language to name injustice honestly while entrusting the outcome to God.

A common misreading is that the pits themselves are illegal, as if digging a hole violated some rule. In fact, the phrase contrary to your law describes the proud people, not the pits (as the KJV and ASV render: “which are not after thy law” meaning the proud). The verse is not about a forbidden method; it is about the character of the people who set the trap. They are lawbreakers by nature, and their whole scheme is an act of rebellion against God.

When someone treats you unfairly, especially if they seem to hold more power or think they can get away with it, this verse gives you words to speak. You don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt. You can say to God: they are acting contrary to Your law. That appeal is honest, and it puts the situation in His hands. This week, if you face gossip, deception, or hidden attacks, bring it before God directly. Name the injustice, but don't carry the burden of fixing it. God sees every hidden pit, and His law still stands over those who dig them.