Psalm 83:1

1 O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God.

Psalm 83:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 83:1

Keep not thou silence, O God
Which he is thought and said to do, when he does not answer the prayers of his people, nor plead their cause, nor rebuke their enemies; when he does not speak a good word to them, or one for them, or one against those that hate and persecute them;

hold not thy peace;
or "be not deaf" ^F2 to the cries and tears of his people, and to the reproaches, menaces, and blasphemies of wicked men:

and be not still, O God;
or "quiet" ^F3, at rest and ease, inactive and unconcerned, as if he cared not how things went; the reason follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (vrxt-la) "ne obsurdescas", Vatablus; "ne surdum agas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ne quasi surdus et mutus sis", Michaelis.
F3 (jqvt la) "ne quiescas", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus; "neque quietus sis", Michaelis.

Psalm 83:1 In-Context

1 O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God.

2 Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?

3 They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones.

4 “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”

5 Yes, this was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you—