Psalm 83

  1. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
  2. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
  3. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
  4. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
  5. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
  6. The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
  7. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
  8. Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
  9. Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
  10. Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
  11. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
  12. Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
  13. O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
  14. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
  15. So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
  16. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.
  17. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
  18. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

Psalm 83 is a passionate plea to God to intervene against the enemies of Israel who seek their destruction. The psalmist implores God not to remain silent or passive but to act against those who have risen against His people.

The enemies of Israel are described as gathering together in a tumult, plotting and consulting against God’s people. They aim to annihilate Israel as a nation and eradicate its memory from history. The psalm lists various nations and peoples who have joined forces against Israel, forming a confederacy united in their hostility.

Drawing on historical events, the psalmist recalls how God dealt with past enemies of Israel, such as the Midianites, Sisera, and Jabin. The fate of these adversaries serves as a model for the psalmist’s desires for the current enemies of Israel.

The psalmist invokes vivid imagery of destruction, likening the enemies to chaff blown by the wind, consumed by fire, and overwhelmed by tempests and storms. The ultimate goal is not merely vengeance but the vindication of God’s name and sovereignty. The psalmist prays for the enemies to be confounded, troubled, and ultimately put to shame, so that all may recognize Jehovah as the supreme ruler over all the earth.

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