Psalm 83:1-4, Psalm 83:9 NIV

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:1

Keep not thou silence - A strong appeal to God just as the confederacy was discovered. Do not be inactive, do not be neuter. Thy honor and our existence are both at stake. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:2

Thine enemies make a tumult - They are not merely the enemies of thy people, but they are the enemies of thyself, thy worship, ordinances, and laws: "They make a tumult," they throng together. They - have lifted up the head - They have made an irruption into the land of Judea, and encamped at En-gedi, by the Dead Sea, 2 Chronicles 20:1 , 2 Chronicles 20:2 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:3

Consulted against thy hidden ones - צפוניך tsephuneycha , Thy hidden things; places; persons. "The hidden things in thy treasures." - Chaldee. "Thy holy ones." - Syriac. "Thy saints." - Vulgate and Septuagint; and so the Ethiopic and Arabic. The people of Israel are probably meant. Or perhaps the temple, the ark, and the treasures of the temple, are intended. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:4

Let us cut them off - Let us exterminate the whole race, that there may not be a record of them on the face of the earth. And their scheme was well laid: eight or ten different nations united themselves in a firm bond to do this; and they had kept their purpose so secret that the king of Judah does not appear to have heard of it till his territories were actually invaded, and the different bodies of this coalition had assembled at En-gedi. Never was Judah before in greater danger. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:1

Verse 1 1O God! hold not thy peace. It is very generally agreed among commentators, that this psalm was composed during the reign of king Jehoshaphat; and in this opinion I readily concur. That godly king, as is well known, had to engage in dreadful wars against multiplied hosts of enemies. Although the Ammonites and Moabites were the originators of the principal war in which he was engaged, yet they mustered forces not only from Syria, but also from distant countries, and the troops thus... read more

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 83:1

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