83 1 The people of Israel pray unto the Lord to deliver them from their enemies both at home and far off, which imagined nothing but their destruction. 9 And they desire that all such wicked people may according as God was accustomed, be stricken with the stormy tempest of God’s wrath, 18 That they may know that the Lord is most high upon the earth.
A song or Psalm committed to Asaph.
1 Keep [a]not thou silence, O God: be not still, and cease not, O God.
2 For lo, thine [b]enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee, have lifted up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and have consulted against thy [c]secret ones.
4 They have said, Come and let us [d]cut them off from being a nation: and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together in [e]heart, and have made a league [f]against thee:
6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagarites:
7 Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines, with the inhabitants of [g]Tyre.
8 Assyria also is joined with them: they have been an arm to the children [h]of Lot. Selah.
9 Do thou to them as unto the [i]Midianites: as to Sisera and as to Jabin at the river of Kishon.
10 They perished at En Dor, and were [j]dung for the earth.
11 Make them, even their princes, like (A)Oreb and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes like Zebah and like Zalmunna,
12 Which have said, Let us take for our possession the [k]habitations of God.
13 O my God, make them like unto a [l]wheel, and as the stubble before the wind.
14 As the fire burneth the forest, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire:
15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may [m]seek thy Name, O Lord.
17 Let them be confounded and troubled forever: yea, let them be put to shame, and perish,
18 That they may [n]know that thou, which art calleth Jehovah, art alone, even the most High over all the earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 83:1 This Psalm seemeth to have been composed as a form of prayer against the dangers that the Church was in, in the days of Jehoshaphat.
- Psalm 83:2 He calleth them God’s enemies, which are enemies to his Church.
- Psalm 83:3 The elect of God are his secret ones: for he hideth them in the secret of his tabernacle, and preserveth them from all dangers.
- Psalm 83:4 They were not content to take the Church as prisoner: but sought utterly to destroy it.
- Psalm 83:5 By all secret means.
- Psalm 83:5 They thought to have subverted thy counsel wherein the perpetuity of the Church was established.
- Psalm 83:7 Or, Zor.
- Psalm 83:8 The wickedness of the Ammonites and Moabites is described in that they provoked these other nations to fight against the Israelites their brethren.
- Psalm 83:9 By these examples they were confirmed, that God would not suffer his people to be utterly destroyed, Judg. 7:21 and 4:15.
- Psalm 83:10 Trodden under feet as mire.
- Psalm 83:12 That is, Judea: for where his Church is, there dwelleth he among them.
- Psalm 83:13 Because the reprobate could by no means be amended, he prayeth that they may utterly be destroyed, be unstable, and led with all winds.
- Psalm 83:16 That is, be compelled by thy plagues to confess thy power.
- Psalm 83:18 Though they believe not, yet they may prove by experience, that it is in vain to resist against thy counsel in establishing thy Church.