Psalm 83:16

16 Fill their faces [with] shame, And they seek Thy name, O Jehovah.

Psalm 83:16 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 83:16

Fill their faces with shame
For their sins, or rather through disappointment, not being able to put their desperate and deep laid schemes into execution: or "with lightness" ^F15; instead of a weight of honour and glory upon them, let them be despised. R. Joseph Kimchi renders it, "fill their faces with fire"; let their faces be as if they were on fire, as men's faces are, who are put to an exceeding great blush, or are most sadly confounded and ashamed:

that they may seek thy name, O Lord;
not they themselves, who are filled with shame; for it is imprecated, that they be ashamed, and troubled for ever, and so as to perish, ( Psalms 83:17 ) but others; for the words may be supplied, as in ( Psalms 83:18 ) "that men may seek thy name, or that thy name may be sought": the judgments of God upon wicked men are sometimes the means of arousing others, and putting them upon seeking the Lord, his face, and his favour; that God would be merciful to them, pardon their iniquities, avert judgments from them, and preserve them from threatened calamities; and this is a good end, when answered; see ( Isaiah 26:9 Isaiah 26:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (Nwlq) Heb. "levitate", Piscator; so Ainsworth.

Psalm 83:16 In-Context

14 As a fire doth burn a forest, And as a flame setteth hills on fire,

15 So dost Thou pursue them with Thy whirlwind, And with Thy hurricane troublest them.

16 Fill their faces [with] shame, And they seek Thy name, O Jehovah.

17 They are ashamed and troubled for ever, Yea, they are confounded and lost.

18 And they know that Thou -- (Thy name [is] Jehovah -- by Thyself,) [Art] the Most High over all the earth!