Bible Strands
Psalms 119:85
The arrogant have dug pits for me in violation of Your law.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God, interrupting his plea for judgment against his persecutors to describe their specific tactics. He speaks from a moment of waiting, contrasting his reliance on divine law with the opposition he faces.
The words — The Hebrew זֵדִ֣ים (ze.Dim) translates literally to "arrogant ones," and שִׁיח֑וֹת (shi.Chot) means "pits." The psalmist uses these terms to show how opponents attempt to trap him by deliberately ignoring divine instruction.
The thread — This pit-digging imagery appears in Psalms 35:7, Proverbs 16:27, and Jeremiah 18:20. Each passage links deliberate entrapment with moral rebellion or destructive speech.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to identify persecution as a product of lawlessness rather than personal deficiency. It demands a clear distinction between unjust human opposition and steadfast adherence to divine command.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.
Cross-references
- Psalms 35:7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
- Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.
- Jeremiah 18:20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
- Psalms 7:15 He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
- Psalms 119:78 May the arrogant be put to shame for subverting me with a lie; I will meditate on Your precepts.
- Psalms 36:11 Let not the foot of the proud come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
- Psalms 58:1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?
- Jeremiah 18:22 Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.