Psalm 83

1 Ein Lied, ein Psalm. Von Asaph. Gott, schweige nicht; verstumme nicht und sei nicht stille, o Gott!

2 Denn siehe, deine Feinde toben, und deine Hasser erheben das Haupt.

3 Wider dein Volk machen sie listige Anschläge, und beraten sich wider deine Geborgenen.

4 Sie sprechen: Kommet und lasset uns sie vertilgen, daß sie keine Nation mehr seien, daß nicht mehr gedacht werde des Namens Israel!

5 Denn sie haben sich beraten mit einmütigem Herzen, sie haben einen Bund wider dich gemacht:

6 Die Zelte Edoms und die Ismaeliter, Moab und die Hageriter,

7 Gebal und Ammon und Amalek, Philistäa samt den Bewohnern von Tyrus;

8 auch Assur hat sich ihnen angeschlossen; sie sind zu einem Arm geworden den Söhnen Lots. (Sela.)

9 Tue ihnen wie Midian, wie Sisera, wie Jabin am Bache Kison;

10 die vertilgt wurden zu En-Dor, die dem Erdboden zum Dünger wurden!

11 Mache sie, ihre Edlen, wie Oreb und wie Seeb, und wie Sebach und wie Zalmunna alle ihre Herrscher!

12 Weil sie gesagt haben: Lasset uns in Besitz nehmen die Wohnungen Gottes!

13 Mein Gott, mache sie gleich einem Staubwirbel, gleich Stoppeln vor dem Winde!

14 Wie Feuer den Wald verbrennt, und wie eine Flamme die Berge entzündet,

15 also verfolge sie mit deinem Wetter, und mit deinem Sturmwinde schrecke sie hinweg!

16 Fülle ihr Angesicht mit Schande, damit sie deinen Namen, Jehova, suchen!

17 Laß sie beschämt und hinweggeschreckt werden für immer, und mit Scham bedeckt werden und umkommen,

18 und erkennen, daß du allein, dessen Name Jehova ist, der Höchste bist über die ganze Erde!

Psalm 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.