Psalms 83:6-16

6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagarites;

7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek; the Philistines and the people of Tyre;

8 Assur is joined with them; they have become the support of the children of Lot. (Selah.)

9 Do to them what you did to the Midianites; what you did to Sisera and Jabin, at the stream of Kishon:

10 Who came to destruction at En-dor; their bodies became dust and waste.

11 Make their chiefs like Oreb and Zeeb; and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna:

12 Who have said, Let us take for our heritage the resting-place of God.

13 O my God, make them like the rolling dust; like dry stems before the wind.

14 As fire burning a wood, and as a flame causing fire on the mountains,

15 So go after them with your strong wind, and let them be full of fear because of your storm.

16 Let their faces be full of shame; so that they may give honour to your name, O Lord.

Psalms 83:6-16 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.