Psa. 83:0 ¶ A Song or Psalm of Asaph.
This psalm is specifically noted as a composition of Asaph, one of the chief musicians who served under King David.
1Chronicles 15:16-17 “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah….”
Psalm 83:1-2 ¶ Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
The Psalmist is writing a prayer to God on behalf of the people of Israel, asking Him to take action against “His” enemies. The enemies he references aren’t just harboring a spirit of ill-will, they are taking action as a result of their hatred. The Hebrew for tumultindicates that they are making noises of war. That they are described as having “lifted up the head” alludes to an attitude of pride and obvious lack of respect for Israel’s God.
Psalm 83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
The motivation for the prayer of the Psalmist becomes even clearer at this point. These enemies of God are enemies of the people of Israel. They are identified as taking “crafty counsel” against them. Webster tells us that crafty is a word that describes one that is skillful in deceiving others. The Hebrew for counsel makes reference to their meeting in secret. In other words, they are privately scheming against Israel and using deceit in the process.
“Thy hidden ones” is a phrase that references Israel’s special position as God’s chosen people—those under His special protection.
Psalm 83:4 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.
What is the purpose behind these clandestine meetings? They want to destroy the nation of Israel.
Does that scream at you from the headlines of today’s newspapers or what! It’s interesting that there is direct connection between the enemies of Israel as identified by the Psalmist in the following verses and the enemies of Israel today.
Psalm 83:5-8 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
The Psalmist is clear that these nations are acting in league with one another for a common goal—the destruction of Israel. Research, however, reveals no time in which these nations came against Israel as a confederation during Bible times. Coffman notes: “The world's scholarship is unable to determine, with any certainty, any particular time in the whole history of Israel that fits the picture revealed here….The very fact that enemies from all four directions are mentioned, enemies of various nationalities, and enemies dating back to the times of Joshua and also in the times of David, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah - all these appear to be a kind of composite including all the enemies Israel ever had.”
The league of enemy nations are identified as:
Edom – This is a name of those descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother from whom the Israelites descended, who settled in the area southeast of Israel.
Ishmaelites – These are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maid that settled in the area of northern Arabia, but could also represent the Egyptians.
Moab – This nation descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot through his older daughter who settled in part of the land today known as Jordan.
Hagarenes – This identifies another group of people who lived east of Jordan and Gilead according to 1Chronicles 5. The record shows they were defeated by Saul and again by a coalition of the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.
Gebal – Appears to be same city called in Greek, Byblos, and was an important port city of the Phoenicians located about 20 miles north of what is today known as Beirut, Lebanon.
Ammon – This is another nation descended from Lot through his younger daughter and settled in another part of the land today known as Jordan.
Amalek – This would appear to reference the descendants of Esau’s grandson. It is interesting to note that Haman the Agagite, the “Hitler” of the book of Esther, was one of these descendants. Research indicates that they were south of Israel in the vicinity of the Sinai.
Philistines – The origin of this nation is considered by many to be from the island of Crete. They lived in the land area on the west coast of Israel and included the area that is today known as the Gaza Strip.
Tyre – This was one of the major Phoenician port cities that was located in the area of South Lebanon today.
Assur – This was the name of the chief city of Assyria and would include reference to the land today called Syria, whose capital is Damascus.
Spurgeon in The Treasury of David makes the following observation: “It may be observed that these were on all sides of the land of Israel; the Edomites, Ishmaelites, and Amalekites, were on the south; the Moabites, Ammonites, and Hagarenes, were on the east; the Assyrians on the north; and the Philistines, Gebalites, and Tyrians, on the west; so that Israel was surrounded on all sides with enemies….”
The wording seems to indicate that Assyria (Syria) has joined the coalition specifically in support of the children of Lot, the Moabites and Ammonites (Jordan).
“Selah” – This is an instruction to take a pause in the music, an opportunity to reflect on the message of the psalm. This strikes me as particularly appropriate as I read this psalm in light of its possible application to current times.
I was listening to Amir Tsarfati recently (May 2018), and he was giving a summary of the wars of Israel. He mentioned this psalm as referencing the attack made on the newly recognized nation of Israel in 1948. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made that connection.
Psalm 83:9-12 ¶ Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
In this section the Psalmist is making reference to past enemies that were destroyed and praying that God will ensure that their current enemies will experience the same complete destruction.
The Midianites were destroyed by Gideon and his band of 300 as recorded in Judges 7. Sisera was the leader of the armies of the Canaanite King Jabin. They were defeated by Israel’s army led by Barak, but Sisera escaped and was eventually killed by a courageous woman, Jael, as recorded in Judges 5; verse 24 ends with a note that King Jabin was also destroyed. The general area of this defeat was close to Endor, infamous for Saul’s clandestine trip there to get the advice of a witch.
“they became as dung for the earth” – The bodies of the dead became as manure or waste to return to dust.
Oreb and Zeeb were two princes of Midian that were killed by Gideon.
Judges 7:25 "And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.”
Zebah and Zalmunna were kings of Midian that were killed by Gideon.
Judges 8:21 “…And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna….”
They, too, had burned with the desire to destroy God’s people and take the land as their own.
Psalm 83:13-14 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
The Psalmist continues his petition asking the LORD to make them like a whirlwind or blowing thing (from the Hebrew) or as straw before the wind. In other words, may they be easy to push aside and squash underfoot. As one who loved to paint pictures with words, he goes on to emphasize his request by picturing the enemy burning like a chunk of wood in the fire, in fact, burning in the heat of a powerful, raging fire that engulfs the mountains.
Psalm 83:15-18 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
The Psalmist is clear in declaring his heart but is also confident that YHWH will act in honor of His name. As he continues to pray, his heart is moved to hope that these enemies will respond to God’s judgment by seeking His salvation. I believe that is how the Holy Spirit will always move in the heart of people of faith. God’s desire is that all men everywhere come to know Him as LORD and Savior.
1Timothy 2:3-4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
If we accept God as our LORD and Savior, our heart should mirror his heart as He looks at those who have rejected Him. Those who refuse to repent and continue to reject Him will die ashamed and in fear. Our desire should be that YHWH is honored and served as “the most high” over all the earth. He has no equal.
Isaiah 45:5-6 “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.”
Psalms 84:0 ¶ To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
This is a psalm directed to the music director at the temple with instruction to play it on a harp (from Hebrew for “Gittith”) and have the sons of Korah sing it.
Interesting to note in light of verse 10, the Korahites were the appointed keepers of the gate at the tabernacle.
1 Chronicles 9:19 “And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry.”
Psalms 84:1 ¶ How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
The Psalmist opens with a statement noting how the people loved the tabernacles (plural) of the LORD. This seems to indicate that it was written before the temple was built and sacrifices and worship were conducted at the tabernacle and the tabernacle of David that housed the ark of the covenant respectively.
Psalms 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
The Psalmist expresses his intense yearning to dwell in God’s house in the presence of the living God. He knew that there was only one living God Almighty—all other false “gods” only live through those that profess to worship them; they have no power in and of themselves.
I liked Guzik’s application: “This speaks to those who are leaders in God’s house today. More than offering programs, social connections, entertainment, excitement, or self-improvement, they must make places and meetings where people meet the living God.”
Psalms 84:3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
I think the CJB translation gets to the heart of this verse: “As the sparrow finds herself a home and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young, [so my resting-place is] by your altars, ADONAI-Tzva’ot, my king and my God.”
It serves as an exclamation point to the previous verse. The Psalmist desires to be like the little birds who made their nests in and around the house of the LORD.
Psalms 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
The Psalmist knows that those that dwell in the presence of the LORD are so blessed that they will want to praise God forever.
Selah = a pause, an opportunity for reflection and meditation
Psalms 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Psalms 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Psalms 84:7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
After looking at the Hebrew, I think the NLT expresses the heart of this section: “Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains! They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.”
The Psalmist is probably thinking of those that make the long journey to Jerusalem during the appointed feast days.
Psalms 84:8 ¶ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
The Psalmist pleads with God, the God of Israel, to give heed to his prayer.
Selah = a pause, an opportunity for reflection and meditation
Psalms 84:9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
The wording is interesting. It seems as though the Psalmist is praying for the people from a personal perspective. He addresses God as “our” (Israel’s) shield, their protector and defense. He asks that God regard His people with pleasure (from Hebrew for look “upon”). He then makes his request personal, declaring that he would rather be a doorkeeper, a lowly servant, in the house of God than to dwell with the wicked (in luxury seems to be implied). The NLT words it this way: “…than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”
I liked the way Spurgeon put it: “God's worst is better than the devil's best.”
Many commentators say the Psalmist is referencing the king (David) as the anointed one, but I think he is referencing himself in context. The Hebrew for “anointed” makes reference to one who is consecrated…a saint; to be consecrated is to be set apart. All of God’s chosen people—Israelite and Christian—can rightly be identified this way.
Psalms 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Psalms 84:12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
The Hebrew for sun makes reference to a doorkeeper. Taken in context with a shield, I think the Psalmist is referencing God as one that guards and protects His own. He bestows favor and honor upon those that seek to honor Him. In fact, he declares that God will withhold nothing that is good from those that live with moral integrity (includes one’s motives) before Him. Every person that takes refuge and places their confidence and hope (from the Hebrew for “trust”) in God will be blessed.
I think it is important to note that we should guard our expectations in light of such a beautiful promise. God is faithful and will honor His promises. However, we must be careful to examine ourselves in light of His promises. Are we truly walking uprightly before Him? Also, we need to guard against expectations as to how and when He chooses to bestow those blessings.