Psalmen 83

1 Een lied, een psalm van Asaf.

2 O God! zwijg niet, houd U niet als doof, en zijt niet stil, o God!

3 Want zie, Uw vijanden maken getier, en Uw haters steken het hoofd op.

4 Zij maken listiglijk een heimelijken aanslag tegen Uw volk, en beraadslagen zich tegen Uw verborgenen.

5 Zij hebben gezegd: Komt, en laat ons hen uitroeien, dat zij geen volk meer zijn; dat aan den naam Israels niet meer gedacht worde.

6 Want zij hebben in het hart te zamen geraadslaagd; tegen U hebben zij een verbond gemaakt;

7 De tenten van Edom en der Ismaelieten, Moab en de Hagarenen;

8 Gebal, en Ammon, en Amalek, Palestina met de inwoners van Tyrus.

9 Ook heeft zich Assur bij hen gevoegd; zij zijn den kinderen van Lot tot een arm geweest. Sela.

10 Doe hun als Midian, als Sisera, als Jabin aan de beek Kison;

11 Die verdelgd zijn te Endor; zij zijn geworden tot drek der aarde.

12 Maak hen en hun prinsen als Oreb en als Zeeb, en al hun vorsten als Zebah en als Zalmuna;

13 Die zeiden: Laat ons de schone woningen Gods voor ons in erfelijke bezitting nemen.

14 Mijn God! maak hen als een wervel, als stoppelen voor den wind.

15 Gelijk het vuur een woud verbrandt, en gelijk de vlam de bergen aansteekt;

16 Vervolg hen alzo met Uw onweder, en verschrik hen met Uw draaiwind.

17 Maak hun aangezicht vol schande, opdat zij, o HEERE! Uw Naam zoeken.

18 Laat hen beschaamd en verschrikt wezen tot in eeuwigheid, en laat hen schaamrood worden, en omkomen; [ (Psalms 83:19) Opdat zij weten, dat Gij alleen met Uw Naam zijt de HEERE, de Allerhoogste over de ganse aarde. ]

Psalmen 83 Commentary

Chapter 83

The designs of the enemies of Israel. (1-8) Earnest prayer for their defeat. (9-18)

Verses 1-8 Sometimes God seems not to be concerned at the unjust treatment of his people. But then we may call upon him, as the psalmist here. All wicked people are God's enemies, especially wicked persecutors. The Lord's people are his hidden one; the world knows them not. He takes them under his special protection. Do the enemies of the church act with one consent to destroy it, and shall not the friends of the church be united? Wicked men wish that there might be no religion among mankind. They would gladly see all its restraints shaken off, and all that preach, profess, or practise it, cut off. This they would bring to pass if it were in their power. The enemies of God's church have always been many: this magnifies the power of the Lord in preserving to himself a church in the world.

Verses 9-18 All who oppose the kingdom of Christ may here read their doom. God is the same still that ever he was; the same to his people, and the same against his and their enemies. God would make their enemies like a wheel; unsettled in all their counsels and resolves. Not only let them be driven away as stubble, but burnt as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men. Let them be made to fear thy name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek thy name. We should desire no confusion to our enemies and persecutors but what may forward their conversion. The stormy tempest of Divine vengeance will overtake them, unless they repent and seek the pardoning mercy of their offended Lord. God's triumphs over his enemies, clearly prove that he is, according to his name JEHOVAH, an almighty Being, who has all power and perfection in himself. May we fear his wrath, and yield ourselves to be his willing servants. And let us seek deliverance by the destruction of our fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Chapter Summary

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.