Psalm 83
שִׁ֖יר מִזְמ֣וֹר לְאָסָֽף
BSB
O God, Be Not Silent
A song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1O God, be not silent; be not speechless;
be not still, O God.
2See how Your enemies rage,
how Your foes have reared their heads.
3With cunning they scheme against Your people
and conspire against those You cherish,
4saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation;
may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5For with one mind they plot together,
they form an alliance against You—
6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
of Philistia with the people of Tyre.
8Even Assyria has joined them,
lending strength to the sons of Lot.
Selah
9Do to them as You did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
10who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12who said, “Let us possess for ourselves
the pastures of God.”
13Make them like tumbleweed, O my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14As fire consumes a forest,
as a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15so pursue them with Your tempest,
and terrify them with Your storm.
16Cover their faces with shame,
that they may seek Your name, O LORD.
17May they be ever ashamed and terrified;
may they perish in disgrace.
18May they know that You alone,
whose name is the LORD,
are Most High over all the earth.
Introduction
Psalms 83
This psalm is the last of those that go under the name of Asaph. It is penned, as most of those, upon a public account, with reference to the insults of the church's enemies, who sought its ruin. Some think it was penned upon occasion of the threatening descent which was made upon the land of Judah in Jehoshaphat's time by the Moabites and Ammonites, those children of Lot here spoken of (Psa 83:8), who were at the head of the alliance and to whom all the other states here mentioned were auxiliaries. We have the story Ch2 20:1, where it is said, The children of Moab and Ammon, and others besides them, invaded the land. Others think it was penned with reference to all the confederacies of the neighbouring nations against Israel, from first to last. The psalmist here makes an appeal and application, I. To God's knowledge, by a representation of their designs and endeavours to destroy Israel (Psa 83:1-8). II. To God's justice and jealousy, both for his church and for his own honour, by an earnest prayer for the defeat of their attempt, that the church might be preserved, the enemies humbled, and God glorified (Psa 83:9-18). This, in the singing of it, we may apply to the enemies of the gospel-church, all anti-christian powers and factions, representing to God their confederacies against Christ and his kingdom, and rejoicing in the hope that all their projects will be baffled and the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.
A song or psalm of Asaph.
Cross-references: Ps 83:8 · 2Chr 20:1 · Ps 83:1 · Ps 83:9