Psalm 83:3

3 Against thy people they have craftily imagined a device, and have taken counsel against thy saints.

Psalm 83:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 83:3

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people
The people of Israel, hereafter named, whom God had chosen and avouched to be his people; these they dealt subtlety with, as the king of Egypt had done with their forefathers; and this, agreeably to their character, being the seed of the old serpent, more subtle than any of the beasts of the field; these devised cunning devices, formed crafty schemes for the destruction of the Lord's people; but often so it is, that the wise are taken in their own craftiness, and their counsel is carried headlong:

and consulted against thy hidden ones;
not hidden from the Lord, and unknown unto him, though from their enemies, and unknown by them, and so the object of their hatred and persecution; but hidden by him as his jewels and peculiar treasure, which he takes care of; hidden under the shadow of his wings, in the secret of his presence and tabernacle, as in a pavilion; and therefore it was a daring piece of insolence in their enemies to attack them: so the life of saints is said to be hid with Christ in God, which denotes both its secrecy and safety; see ( Colossians 3:3 ) , the Targum is,

``against the things hidden in thy treasures;''

meaning the riches of the temple.

Psalm 83:3 In-Context

1 O God, who shall be compared to thee? be not silent, neither be still, O God.

2 For behold, thine enemies have made a noise; and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

3 Against thy people they have craftily imagined a device, and have taken counsel against thy saints.

4 They have said, Come, and let us utterly destroy them out of the nation; and let the name of Israel be remembered no more at all.

5 For they have taken counsel together with one consent: they have made a confederacy against thee;

6 even the tents of the Idumeans, and the Ismaelites; Moab, and the Agarenes;

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalec; the Philistines also, with them that dwell at Tyre.

8 Yea, Assur too is come with them: they have become a help to the children of Lot. Pause.

9 Do thou to them as to Madiam, and to Sisera; as to Jabin at the brook of Kison.

10 They were utterly destroyed at Aendor: they became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their princes as Oreb and Zeb, and Zebee and Salmana; even all their princes:

12 who said, let us take to ourselves the altar of God as an inheritance.

13 O my God, make them as a wheel; as stubble before the face of the wind.

14 As fire which shall burn up a wood, as the flame may consume the mountains;

15 so shalt thou persecute them with thy tempest, and trouble them in thine anger.

16 Fill their faces with dishonour; so shall they seek thy name, O Lord.

17 Let them be ashamed and troubled for evermore; yea, let them be confounded and destroyed.

18 And let them know that thy name is Lord; that thou alone art Most High over all the earth.