Psalms 83:12-18

12 Who said, "Let us take possession Of God's pasturelands."

13 My God, make them like tumbleweed; Like chaff before the wind.

14 As the fire that burns the forest, As the flame that sets the mountains on fire,

15 So pursue them with your tempest, Terrify them with your storm.

16 Fill their faces with confusion, That they may seek your name, LORD.

17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish;

18 That they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, Are Ha`Elyon over all the eretz.

Psalms 83:12-18 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.