Psalm 83 Bible Commentary

83:1 «A Song [or] Psalm of Asaph.» Keep ^a not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

(a) This psalm seems to have been composed as a form of prayer against the dangers that the Church was in, in the days of Jehoshaphat.

83:2 For, lo, thine ^b enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

(b) He calls them God's enemies, who are enemies of his Church.

83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy ^c hidden ones.

(c) The elect of God are his secret ones: for he hides them in the secret of his tabernacle, and preserves them from all dangers.

83:4 They have said, Come, and let us ^d cut them off from [being] a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

(d) They were not content to take the Church as prisoner: but sought to utterly destroy it.

83:5 For they have consulted together ^e with one consent: they are confederate ^f against thee:

(e) By all secret means.
(f) They thought to have subverted your counsel in which the constancy of the Church was established.

83:8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children ^g of Lot. Selah.

(g) The wickedness of the Ammonites and Moabites is described in that they provoked these other nations to fight against the Israelites.

83:9 Do unto them as [unto] the ^h Midianites; as [to] Sisera, as [to] Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

(h) By these examples they were confirmed that God would not permit his people to be completely destroyed, (Judges 7:21,4:15).

83:10 [Which] perished at Endor: they became [as] ⁱ dung for the earth.

(i) Trodden under foot as mire.

83:12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the ^k houses of God in possession.

(k) That is, Judea: for where his Church is, there he dwells among them.

83:13 O my God, make them like a ^l wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

(l) Because the reprobate could by no means be amended, he prays that they may utterly be destroyed, be unstable and led by all winds.

83:16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may ^m seek thy name, O LORD.

(m) That is, be compelled by your plagues to confess your power.

83:18 That [men] may ⁿ know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.

(n) Though they do not believe, yet they may prove by experience, that it is in vain to resist against your counsel in establishing your Church.