Tyndale Open Study NotesPsalms 83

This community lament asks God to rescue his people and give them victory. The short and direct poetry suggests a time of great trouble. A strong group of nations plans to destroy Israel (Psalm 83:1–4) and joins together against God (83:5–8).

The psalmist remembers what happened to other enemies who attacked Israel in the past (Psalm 83:9–12). He prays that the same thing will happen to these enemies (83:13–16), so that they will recognize God’s power and give him honor (83:17–18).

It is not clear whether this psalm refers to one specific historical event or whether it gathers together several nations as a poetic picture of Israel’s enemies.

The enemy has successfully intimidated God’s people, so the poet prays that the Lord will hear and act.

they form an alliance: The allies agreed to fight against God and his people. The nations named in this alliance lived around Israel and Judah.

• The Edomites were descendants of Esau. They lived southeast of Judah (see Genesis 25:30; 32:3; 36:1–8).

• The Ishmaelites were descendants of Hagar. They lived in the desert.

• The Moabites and Ammonites were descendants of Lot. They lived east of Israel and Judah.

• The Hagrites might have lived north of the Ammonites (1 Chronicles 5:10).

• Gebal, also known as Byblos, was on the coast of Lebanon.

• The Amalekites lived south of Israel in the Negev desert.

• Philistia was southwest of Judah, near the Mediterranean Sea.

• Tyre was a port city on the Mediterranean Sea, northwest of Israel.

• Assyria was located northeast of Israel and north of the Persian Gulf.

• Lot's descendants were the Moabites and the Ammonites (Psalm 83:6–7).

The Midianites, led by Oreb and Zeeb and ruled by Zebah and Zalmunna, were Israel's enemies during Gideon's time (Judges 7:1–8:5). Barak's alliance defeated Sisera and Jabin (Judges 4).

The psalmist prays that God will miraculously destroy the new coalition as he did three other enemies; doing so would bring him glory.

The coalition wanted to destroy Israel to take over the land (see Jeremiah 3:19).

tumbleweed … chaff: This dry plant material blows away easily (see Isaiah 17:13).

fire … flame … tempest: These images describe how God appears when he brings judgment (see Isaiah 29:6).