Psalms 83:8-18

8 Even Assyria has joined them to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon. "Selah"
9 Do to them what you did to the people of Midian. Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor. Their bodies were left to rot on the ground.
11 Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb. Do to all of their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, "Let's take over the grasslands that belong to God."
13 My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away. Make them like tumbleweed.
14 Destroy them as fire burns up a forest. Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.
15 Chase them with your mighty winds. Terrify them with your storm.
16 Lord, put them to shame so that people will worship you.
17 May they always be filled with terror and shame. May they die in dishonor.
18 Your name is the Lord. Let them know that you alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

Psalms 83:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 83

\\<>\\. This is the last of the psalms that bear the name of Asaph, and some think it was written by him on occasion of David's smiting the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites, and others, 2Sa 8:1-14, but these did not conjunctly, but separately, fight with David, and were overcome by him; whereas those this psalm makes mention of were in a confederacy together; and besides, the Tyrians in David's time were in friendship with him; but are here mentioned as joining with others against Israel, Ps 83:7, others are of opinion that this was prophetic delivered out with respect to future times, either to the conspiracy of the enemies of the Jews against them in the times of the Maccabees, ``Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much. &c.'' (1 Maccabees 5:1) or rather to the confederacy of the Moabites, Ammonites, and others, in the times of Jehoshaphat, 2Ch 20:1, so Kimchi, Arama, and the generality of interpreters: perhaps reference is had to the enemies of God's people, from age to age, both in the Old and in the New Testament; R. Obadiah understands it of the war of Gog and Magog.

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