Psalm 83

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 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 (Ps. 83:8), who were at the head of the alliance and to whom all the other states here mentioned were... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 83:1-8

The Israel of God were now in danger, and fear, and great distress, and yet their prayer is called, A song or psalm; for singing psalms is not unseasonable, no, not when the harps are hung upon the willow-trees. I. The psalmist here begs of God to appear on the behalf of his injured threatened people (Ps. 83:1): ?Keep not thou silence, O God! but give judgment for us against those that do us an apparent wrong.? Thus Jehoshaphat prayed upon occasion of that invasion (2 Chron. 20:11), Behold,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 83:9-18

The psalmist here, in the name of the church, prays for the destruction of those confederate forces, and, in God's name, foretels it; for this prayer that it might be so amounts to a prophecy that it shall be so, and this prophecy reaches to all the enemies of the gospel-church; whoever they be that oppose the kingdom of Christ, here they may read their doom. The prayer is, in short, that these enemies, who were confederate against Israel, might be defeated in all their attempts, and that they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 83 A Song cf15I or Psalm of Asaph. 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, 2 Samuel 8:1 , 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:1

Keep not thou silence, O God ,.... Which he is thought and said to do, when he does not answer the prayers of his people, nor plead their cause, nor rebuke their enemies; when he does not speak a good word to them, or one for them, or one against those that hate and persecute them; hold not thy peace ; or "be not deaf" F2 אל־תחרש "ne obsurdescas", Vatablus; "ne surdum agas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ne quasi surdus et mutus sis", Michaelis. to the cries and tears of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:2

For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult ,.... Or "a noise" F4 יהמיון "sonuerunt", V. L. "perstrepunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius; "strepunt", Gejerus. : wicked men are commonly noisy, roaring out their blasphemies against God, belching out oaths and curses, and breathing threatenings and slaughter against the saints; especially a numerous army of them, consisting of many people and nations, as this did; who are called the Lord's "enemies", being the enemies of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:3

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people ,.... The people of Israel, hereafter named, whom God had chosen and avouched to be his people; these they dealt subtlety with, as the king of Egypt had done with their forefathers; and this, agreeably to their character, being the seed of the old serpent, more subtle than any of the beasts of the field; these devised cunning devices, formed crafty schemes for the destruction of the Lord's people; but often so it is, that the wise are taken... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:4

They have said ,.... Secretly in their hearts, or openly to one another, and gave it out in the most public manner, as what they had consulted and determined upon; see Psalm 74:8 , come, and let us cut them off from being a nation ; they were not content to invade their country, take their cities, plunder them of their substance, and carry them captives, but utterly to destroy them, root and branch; so that they might be no more a body politic, under rule and government, in their own... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:5

For they have consulted together with one consent ,.... Or "heart" F5 לב "corde", Pagninus, Montanus; "ex corde", Tigurine version, Musculus, Gejerus; "cordicitus", Cocceius. ; wicked men are cordial to one another, and united in their counsels against the people of God, and his interest: whatever things they may disagree in, they agree in this, to oppose the cause and interest of true religion, or to persecute the church and people of God: Herod and Pontius Pilate are instances of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 83:6

The tabernacles of Edom , &c.; Or the Idumeans, as the Targum; the posterity of Esau, who, with the rest that joined with them, hereafter mentioned, and made the confederate army, brought their tents with them, pitched them, and encamped in them against Israel: and the Ishmaelites ; or Arabians, as the Targum, who descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham: of Moab, and the Hagarenes ; the Moabites, who sprung from Lot by one of his daughters, in an incestuous way; and the... read more

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