Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 83:18

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 83:18. That men may know — That they may acknowledge, and be converted to thee. Here is no malice; all is self-defence.

ANALYSIS OF THE EIGHTY-THIRD PSALM

This Psalm divides itself into four parts: -

I. A short ejaculation, Psalms 83:1.

II. A complaint against God's enemies, which is the reason of this prayer, Psalms 83:2-10.

III. A fearful imprecation against them, Psalms 83:12-17.

IV. The charitable ends proposed, Psalms 83:18.

I. The ejaculation or prayer: "Keep not thou silence - be not still." Thy enemies are loud in their threatenings, and active in their endeavours, to destroy thy people and thy worship: "Hold not thy peace!"

II. He complains - These are enemies, 1. To thy people, Psalms 83:2. 2. To God himself, Psalms 83:5. Then he describes them, Psalms 83:6-8.

1. They were banditti - spoilers: They "make a tumult," Psalms 83:2.

2. Proud and arrogant: "They have lifted up the head," Psalms 83:2.

3. They were subtle and crafty: "They have taken crafty counsel," Psalms 83:3.

4. They carried their cunning counsel into acts of aggression: "Come, and let us cut them off," c., Psalms 83:4.

5. They were conspirators, - 1. Against God. 2. Against his people. All the world against God and his Church! Not an uncommon case.

6. He gives us a catalogue of these conspirators, Psalms 83:6-8: Edom, &c.

III. He prays to God against them. In which there are four particulars: 1. Their fall and ruin. 2. Their persecution. 3. Their terror. 4. Their disgrace.

These he illustrates by five similitudes: 1. Of a wheel that, running on, crushes all under it successively. 2. Of stubble or chaff, easily driven away by the wind, Psalms 83:13. 3. Of a wood or forest in a state of general conflagration, Psalms 83:14. 4. Of a flame that even consumes the mountains, Psalms 83:14.

Their fall and ruin he wished to be -

1. Speedy and perpetual: "Do unto them as unto the Midianites," &c., Psalms 83:9-13.

2. Sudden and violent: "As fire," Psalms 83:13.

3. Terrible and shameful: "Fill their faces with shame," Psalms 83:15-16.

There are here three particulars of their punishment: 1. Flight. 2. Terror. 3. Shame and ignominy.

IV. The charitable ends proposed. These were two: -

1. That they might seek after God, be converted to him, Psalms 83:16.

2. That they might know him to be Jehovah, the only true God, that they might be saved from all idolatry, Psalms 83:18.

The spirit of this prayer is, 1. If they will not seek thee, and be converted, let them be confounded in their attempts against thy people. 2. If they will not acknowledge thee, let them be utterly routed and overthrown: "Let them be put to shame, and perish!"

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms Opposition to God’s just rule

Psalms 82:0 is written against all those who act unjustly in their position as God’s representatives in administering justice. They are even called gods (v. 1,6; cf. John 10:34; Romans 13:1,Romans 13:4,Romans 13:6). However, instead of rescuing the helpless poor from the powerful rich who enslave them, they show favour to those with influence and money (82:1-4). Because they are blind to all justice, truth and mercy, there is no stability in society (5). They may have high rank, but it will not save them on the day when they themselves are judged. They will be destroyed along with other wicked people (6-8).

Another picture of opposition to God concerns an attack on Israel by enemy nations whose hatred of Israel results from their hatred of God (83:1-4). On all sides enemies gather to fight against God and his people (5-8). But just as God defeated Sisera and Jabin in the time of Deborah, and defeated the Midianites in the time of Gideon, so may he defeat the gathered armies again (9-12; see Judges 4:1-31, Judges 6:1-28). The psalmist prays that their destruction will be complete (13-15), so that people will acknow ledge God’s sovereign power and praise his holy name (16-18).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

PRAYER FOR OVERTHROW OF ALL ISRAEL’S ENEMIES

“O God, make them like the whirling dust; As stubble before the wind. And the fire that burneth the forest, And as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire, Pursue them with thy tempest, And terrify them with thy storm. Fill their faces with confusion, That they may seek thy name, O Jehovah. Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; Yea, let them be confounded and perish; That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, Art the Most High Over all the earth.”

“Like a wheel” This rendition is given in some versions instead of “like the whirling dust”; and Leupold understood it as a reference to “the tumbleweed.”H. C. Leupold, p. 601.

“The whirling dust” This was possibly a whirlwind, a phenomenon that appears but a little while, soon vanishing away.

“As the fire that burneth the forest” There is no more terrible figure of destruction than that of a forest fire; and the meaning here is that the psalmist is praying that the destruction of Israel’s enemies will be as thorough and complete as that caused by a forest fire.

“Pursue with thy tempest… terrify with thy storm” The psalmist prays not merely for the destruction of their foes, but for God to overwhelm them also with fright and terror.

“That they may seek thy name, O Jehovah” Leupold understood this line as a prayer for the conversion of Israel’s enemies. “These words are obviously another way of saying, “That they may be turned from their evil ways to God.”Ibid. While freely admitting that this view could indeed be correct, the psalmist, nevertheless, called in the same breath for their shame and dismay forever, and that they might perish (Psalms 83:17). This may be explained by the assumption that the psalmist certainly expected no such conversion on the part of his enemies.

“Thou whose name is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth” We have been greatly surprised by the frequency with which Jehovah is called “Most High” in the Psalms. A very necessary deduction from the instance of this here is that “all Israel” accepted “Most High” as a legitimate appellation of Jehovah. The prayer is here that even all of the enemies of God and of Israel may come into that same knowledge.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

That men may know - That all people may be impressed with the belief that thou art the true and only God. This was the design and aim of the prayer in the psalm. It was that there might be such a manifestation of the power of God; that it might be so evident that the events which had occurred could be traced to no other source than God himself, that all people might be led to honor him.

That thou whose name alone is Jehovah - To whom alone this name belongs; to whom alone it can be properly ascribed. This was the special name by which God chose to be known. Exodus 6:3. Compare the notes at Isaiah 42:8. On the word Jehovah - יהוה Yahweh - see the notes at Psalms 68:4. It is found in combination, in Genesis 22:14; Exodus 17:15; Judges 6:24; Ezekiel 48:35; Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16.

Art the Most High over all the earth - Thou art the Supreme God, ruling over all people. Thy dominion is so absolute over nations, even when combined together, and thy power is so complete in foiling their plans, and disconcerting their purposes, that it is clear that thou dost reign over them. He that could break up such a combination - he that could rescue his people from such an allied force - must have all power over the nations - must be the true God.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

18.And let them know that thou art, thy name Jehovah. It is not the saving knowledge of God which is here spoken of, but that acknowledgement of him which his irresistible power extorts from the wicked. It is not simply said that they will know that there is a God; but a special kind of knowledge is laid down, it being intimated that the heathen who before held the true religion in contempt, would at length perceive that the God who made himself known in the Law, and who was worshipped in Judea, was the only true God. Still, however, it must be remembered, that the knowledge spoken of is only that which is of an evanescent character, having neither root nor the living juice to nourish it; for the wicked will not submit to God willingly and cordially, but are drawn by compulsion to yield a counterfeit obedience, or, being restrained by him, dare not break forth into open outrage. This, then, is an experimental recognition of God which penetrates not to the heart, but is extorted from them by force and necessity. The pronoun אתה, atah, thou, is emphatic, implying a tacit contrast between the God of Israel and all the false gods which were the product of men’s invention. The prayer amounts to this: Lord, make them to know that the idols which they have fabricated for themselves are no gods, and in fact are nothing. The despisers of God may indeed shun the light, and at one time may overcast themselves with clouds, while at another their may plunge into the deep and thick shades of darkness; but He pursues them, and draws them forth to the knowledge of himself, which they would fain bury in ignorance. And as the world indiscriminately and disgracefully applies his sacred name to its own trifling inventions, this profanation is corrected when it is added, thy name Jehovah. This implies that being, or really to be, is in the strict sense applicable to God alone; for although unbelievers may attempt to tear his glory to pieces, he continues perfect and unchanged. The contrast of which I have spoken, must be kept in mind by the reader. A nation has never existed so barbarous as not to have worshipped some deity; but every country forged particular gods for itself. And although the Moabites, the Edomites, and the rest of these nations, admitted that some power and authority belonged to the God of Israel, yet they conceived that this power and authority did not extend beyond the boundaries of Judea. Thus the king of Syria called him, “the God of the hills,” (1 Kings 20:23.) This preposterous and absurd division of God’s glory, which men make, is disproved by one word, and all the superstitions which at that time prevailed in the world are overthrown, when the Prophet attributes to the God of Israel, as well the essence of Deity as the name; for unless all the idols of the heathen are completely abolished, he will not obtain, alone and unshared, the name of Jehovah. Accordingly, it is added, Thou alone art the Most High over all the earth; a statement which is worthy of our most careful attention. The superstitious commonly think it enough to leave God his name, that is to say, two or three syllables; and in the meantime they fritter away his power, as if his majesty were contained in an empty title. Let us then remember that God does not receive that honor among men to which he is entitled, if he is not allowed to possess his own inherent sovereignty, and if his glory is obscured by setting up other objects against him with antagonist claims.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 83:1-18 is a psalm where he is speaking out of the calamities that the enemies have brought upon them and asking for God's deliverance as He had in their past history. Asking God to work, "O God, help us now, Lord."

Don't keep silence, O God: don't hold your peace, don't be still, O God ( Psalms 83:1 ).

God, do something.

For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones ( Psalms 83:2-3 ).

One of the difficult things today is, more or less, the silence of God. When I see the corruption that is being foistered upon the United States through the Hollywood movie industry, I see how that crafty people are making God seem like, you know, making the worship of God or people believe in God, making them look like fools. Making a person who believes in righteousness or morality to look like an Archie Bunker type, you know, a real nut. And deliberately casting a person who would stand up for good in a bad light, and glorifying the evil kind of person, making heroes out of those that are engaged in evil. Poisoning the mind of the nation.

I sometimes with the psalmist say, "God, don't keep silence. Do something, Lord. Stop them. Break their teeth in their mouths, Lord. Smash their noses against their face. God, don't keep... do something, God." I look at these ads that have been promoted by the National Council of Churches that are against the evangelicals, Norman Lear, and I say, "God, stop these evil men." The National Council of Churches hires this atheistic, humanist Norman Lear to make these ads that are against the evangelicals. And I think, "God, stop them." Terrible that they... National Council of Churches.

Now, I know that on Sunday nights we have an extremely large radio audience. In fact, the radio surveys that are made have discovered that the Sunday night broadcast here at Calvary of our service is the most listened to radio program in Orange County. It exceeds all the news programs, rock stations or anything else. And we praise the Lord for the opportunity of being on the radio and to broadcast the Sunday night services so that a lot of the people who have small children can stay home and put the kids to bed and listen to the services.

But yet, you think of all...well, the people that are listening, and you, a lot of you are come from other churches. A lot of you are involved with churches that are related to the National Council of Churches. And I'd like to say personally, I wouldn't want the slightest relationship or association to the National Council of Churches, and I would not contribute one dime to any church that supports the National Council of Churches or the World Council of Churches. And I'm just laying it out to you straight, and I think that if some of the people will just quit supporting some of these churches that do support them, that they'll start taking another look at their relationships. But I believe that the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches have done more against Christianity than perhaps almost any other groups in the world. They are not representative of the true evangelical church at all. They represent humanistic concepts in religion, and they are promoting evil causes.

Oh, don't keep silent, God. Don't hold Your peace. Don't be still, God. Do something. But, "Lo, your enemies are making a tumult. Those that hate You have lifted up their head. They've taken crafty counsel against Your people." Hired crafty counselors.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation ( Psalms 83:4 );

And actually they have taken a position against Israel is what he is saying. Do you know that the World Council of Churches supports the PLO to the tune of over $2 million a year? A lot of the terrorist activities of the PLO are sponsored and paid for by the World Council of Churches that receives its monies from the churches that are related to the National Council of Churches, which part of that money goes to the World Council of Churches. And if you belong to a church that is contributing to either the National or World Council of Churches, you are actually contributing to such things as Angelo Davis' defense fund; you're contributing to the terrorist groups that are in Africa; you're contributing to those terrorists that are coming in and killing missionaries and missionary children; you're contributing to the terrorism of the PLO; you're contributing to those that are seeking to destroy the nation Israel, and I wouldn't want to have any part in the contribution to any of those causes myself.

But they've confederated against you. Let us cut Israel off.

that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. They have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against God: The tabernacles ( Psalms 83:4-6 )

And he names the nations now that have gone together.

Edom, the Ishmaelites; those of Moab, the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines and Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: and they have the help of the children of Lot ( Psalms 83:6-8 ).

Now he's saying, "God, wipe them out."

Do unto them like you did to the Midianites ( Psalms 83:9 );

In the time... in the book of Judges when the Midianites came against the children of Israel and Gideon went out against them.

Do as you did to Sisera, and as to Jabin, there at the brook Kison ( Psalms 83:9 ):

Or Sisera, and Jabin. God, as You've driven a spike through their skull. You know, get them, God.

Make their nobles like Oreb, and Zeeb ( Psalms 83:11 ):

Who were in the book of Judges also. Oreb and Zeeb are about the eighth chapter, or the seventh chapter of the book of Judges.

and unto the princes of Zebah, and Zalmunna ( Psalms 83:11 ):

These were all princes that were slain of the Midianites who had come against Israel at the time of Gideon and were destroyed by... some by Gideon and others by the Ephraimites who came to help Gideon.

Who said, Let us take ourselves the houses of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burns wood, and the flame sets the mountains on fire; 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 eaRuth ( Psalms 83:12-18 ).

"God, do these things in order that men might know that You are over all things." And that was the real cry behind, "O God, it seems that these people have gathered against You, against Your purposes. Now God, put them to silence. Stop them, Lord, that people might learn to respect You." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 83

Asaph prayed that God would destroy the enemies that threatened to overwhelm Israel, as He had done in the past. This is a psalm of national (communal) lament, and it is the last of the psalms attributed to Asaph (Psalms 50, 73-83).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. The desire for deliverance 83:9-18

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Asaph could legitimately ask God to shame Israel’s enemies in view of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3). However, his ultimate concern was God’s reputation (Psalms 83:18).

Prayers based on God’s reputation, His promises, and His past faithfulness are petitions that God will answer. However, He reserves the right to decide the correct time to act.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah,.... Or, "that thou, thy name alone is Jehovah" p, a self-existent Being, the Being of beings, the everlasting I AM, the immutable God; for this name is expressive of the being, eternity, and unchangeableness of God, who is, and was, and is to come, invariably the same, Revelation 1:4 which is to be understood not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit, who are with the Father the one Jehovah, Deuteronomy 6:4, and to whom this name is given; see Exodus 17:6, compared with 1 Corinthians 10:9 Isaiah 6:8 compared with Acts 28:25, but to the exclusion of all nominal and fictitious deities, the gods of the Heathens; and the being and perfections of God are known by the judgments he executes, Psalms 9:16,

art the most High over all the earth; or,

and that thou art, c. q, being the Maker and the Possessor of it, and the sovereign Lord of its inhabitants, doing in it what seems good in his sight see Genesis 14:22, for the accents require two propositions in the text: the Heathens r give the title of most high to their supreme deity: the Targum is,

"over all the inhabitants of the earth.''

p כי אתה שמך "quod nomen tuum", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus. q "Quod tu, inquam, sis altissimus", Michaelis. r Pansan. Boeotica sive, l. 9. p. 555.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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.

      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 might prove their own ruin, and so God's Israel might be preserved and perpetuated. Now this is here illustrated,

      I. By some precedents. Let that be their punishment which has been the fate of others who have formerly set themselves against God's Israel. The defeat and discomfiture of former combinations may be pleaded in prayer to God and improved for the encouragement of our own faith and hope, because God is the same still that ever he was, the same to his people and the same against his and their enemies; with him is no variableness. 1. He prays that their armies might be destroyed as the armies of former enemies had been (Psalms 83:9; Psalms 83:10): Do to them as to the Midianites; let them be routed by their own fears, for so the Midianites were, more than by Gideon's 300 men. Do to them as to the army under the command of Sisera (who was general under Jabin king of Canaan) which God discomfited (Judges 4:15) at the brook Kishon, near to which was Endor. They became as dung on the earth; their dead bodies were thrown like dung laid in heaps, or spread, to fatten the ground; they were trodden to dirt by Barak's small but victorious army; and this was fitly made a precedent here, because Deborah made it so to aftertimes when it was fresh. Judges 5:31, So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord! that is, So they shall perish. 2. He prays that their leaders might be destroyed as they had been formerly. The common people would not have been so mischievous if their princes had not set them on, and therefore they are particularly prayed against, Psalms 83:11; Psalms 83:12. Observe, (1.) What their malice was against the Israel of God. They said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession (Psalms 83:12; Psalms 83:12), the pleasant places of God (so the word is), by which we may understand the land of Canaan, which was a pleasant land and was Immanuel's land, or the temple, which was indeed God's pleasant place (Isaiah 64:11), or (as Dr. Hammond suggests) the pleasant pastures, which these Arabians, who traded in cattle, did in a particular manner seek after. The princes and nobles aimed to enrich themselves by this war; and their armies must be made as dung for the earth, to serve their covetousness and their ambition. (2.) What their lot should be. They shall be made like Oreb and Zeeb (two princes of the Midianites, who, when their forces were routed, were taken in their flight by the Ephraimites and slain, Judges 7:25), and like Zeba and Zalmunna, whom Gideon himself slew, Judges 8:21. "Let these enemies of ours be made as easy a prey to us as they were to the conquerors then." We may not prescribe to God, but we may pray to God that he will deal with the enemies of his church in our days as he did with those in the days of our fathers.

      II. He illustrates it by some similitudes, and prays, 1. That God would make them like a wheel (Psalms 83:13; Psalms 83:13), that they might be in continual motion, unquiet, unsettled, and giddy in all their counsels and resolves, that they might roll down easily and speedily to their own ruin. Or, as some think, that they might be broken by the judgments of God, as the corn is broken, or beaten out, by the wheel which was then used in threshing. Thus, when a wise king scatters the wicked, he is said to bring the wheel over them,Proverbs 20:26. Those that trust in God have their hearts fixed; those that fight against him are unfixed, like a wheel. 2. That they might be chased as stubble, or chaff, before the fierce wind. "The wheel, though it continually turn round, is fixed on its own axis; but let them have no more fixation than the light stubble has, which the wind hurries away, and nobody desires to save it, but is willing it should go," Psalms 1:4. Thus shall the wicked be driven away in his wickedness, and chased out of the world. 3. That they might be consumed, as wood by the fire, or as briers and thorns, as fern or furze, upon the mountains, by the flames, Psalms 83:14; Psalms 83:14. When the stubble is driven by the wind it will rest, at last, under some hedge, in some ditch or other; but he prays that they might not only be driven away as stubble, but burnt up as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men (Hebrews 6:8) and particularly of all the enemies of God's church. The application of these comparisons we have (Psalms 83:15; Psalms 83:15): So persecute them with thy tempest, persecute them to their utter ruin, and make them afraid with thy storm. See how sinners are made miserable; the storm of God's wrath raises terrors in their own hearts, and so they are made completely miserable. God can deal with the proudest and most daring sinner that has bidden defiance to his justice, and can make him afraid as a grasshopper. It is the torment of devils that they tremble.

      III. He illustrates it by the good consequences of their confusion, Psalms 83:16-18; Psalms 83:16-18. He prays here that God, having filled their hearts with terror, would thereby fill their faces with shame, that they might be ashamed of their enmity to the people of God (Isaiah 26:11), ashamed of their folly in acting both against Omnipotence itself and their own true interest. They did what they could to put God's people to shame, but the shame will at length return upon themselves. Now, 1. The beginning of this shame might be a means of their conversion: "Let them be broken and baffled in their attempts, that they may seek thy name, O Lord! Let them be put to a stand, that they may have both leisure and reason to pause a little, and consider who it is that they are fighting against and what an unequal match they are for him, and may therefore humble and submit themselves and desire conditions of peace. Let them be made to fear thy name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek thy name." Note, That which we should earnestly desire and beg of God for our enemies and persecutors is that God would bring them to repentance, and we should desire their abasement in order to this, no other confusion to them than what may be a step towards their conversion. 2. If it did not prove a means of their conversion, the perfecting of it would redound greatly to the honour of God. If they will not be ashamed and repent, let them be put to shame and perish; if they will not be troubled and turned, which would soon put an end to all their trouble, a happy end, let them be troubled for ever, and never have peace: this will be for God's glory (Psalms 83:18; Psalms 83:18), that other men may know and own, if they themselves will not, that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH (that incommunicable, though not ineffable name) art the Most High over all the earth. God's triumphs over his and his church's enemies will be incontestable proofs, (1.) That he is, according to his name JEHOVAH, a self-existent self-sufficient Being, that has all power and perfection in himself. (2.) That he is the most high God, sovereign Lord of all, above all gods, above all kings, above all that exalt themselves and pretend to be high. (3.) That he is so, not only over the land of Israel, but over all the earth, even those nations of the earth that do not know him or own him; for his kingdom rules over all. These are great and unquestionable truths, but men will hardly be persuaded to know and believe them; therefore the psalmist prays that the destruction of some might be the conviction of others. The final ruin of all God's enemies, in the great day, will be the effectual proof of this, before angels and men, when the everlasting shame and contempt to which sinners shall rise (Daniel 12:2) shall redound to the everlasting honour and praise of that God to whom vengeance belongs.