Psalms 83:15

O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. -Second part of the second main division. Prayer inspired by God for the extinction of the foe by the fiery storm of God. Verse 13. O MY GOD, MAKE THEM LIKE A WHEEL - rather, 'like a thing whirled round as a wheel,' or like a whirlwind: parallel to "the stubble before the wind." Compare note, ; , 'they shall be chased like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.' Verse 14. AS THE FLAME SETTETH THE MOUNTAINS ON FIRE - i:e., setteth on fire the wood and stubble on the mountains. Verse 15. MAKE THEM AFRAID WITH THY STORM. The same Hebrew verb (tebahaleem) as in is translated, "let them ....

9-18 All who oppose the kingdom of Christ may here read their doom. God is the same still that ever he was; the same to his people, and the same against his and their enemies. God would make their enemies like a wheel; unsettled in all their counsels and resolves. Not only let them be driven away as stubble, but burnt as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men. Let them be made to fear thy name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek thy name. We should desire no confusion to our enemies and persecutors but what may forward their conversion. The stormy tempest of Divine vengeance will overtake them, unless they repent and seek the pardoning mercy of their offended Lord. God's triumphs over his enemies, clearly prove that he is, according to his name JEHOVAH, an almighty Being, who has all power and perfection in himself. May we fear his wrath, and yield ourselves to be his wil...

Verse Psalms 83:15. _SO PERSECUTE THEM_] In this and the two following verses we find several awful execrations; and all this seems to be done in reference to that ancient custom, "pouring execrations on an enemy previously to battle." Of this I have already given specimens in this work; and the reader is particularly requested to refer to the case of Balaam being hired by the king of Moab to curse Israel previously to his intended attack: see the note on Numbers 22:6, where the subject is treated at large. This custom prevailed much among the _Romans_, and the ancient _Druids_ of _Britain_. In all cases the _priests_ were employed to utter the execrations, as they were supposed to have the greatest influence with the gods, in whose name the curses were uttered....

SO PERSECUTE THEM - So pursue them; so follow them up. The word “persecute” is now used in a somewhat different sense, as denoting pain or suffering inflicted on account of religious opinion. It means here simply to pursue. WITH THY TEMPEST - With the expressions of thy displeasure; with punishment which may be compared with the fury of a storm. AND MAKE THEM AFRAID WITH THY STORM - Or, Make them afraid, terrify them, so that they will flee away. As all that is here sought by prayer is what people endeavor to do when an enemy invades their country - as they make arrangements for repelling those enemies, and overthrowing them, and as they feel that it is right to do so - there is no impropriety in making this the subject of prayer to God. What it is right for men to attempt, it is right to pray for; what it would be right for them to do if they had the power, i

EXPOSITION THE psalmist makes a passionate appeal to God on behalf of Israel at a time of great danger. A confederacy has been formed among the surrounding nations, having for its object the destruction of Israel's nationality (Psalms 83:4). The confederacy includes Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagarenes, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, and Tyre (Psalms 83:6, Psalms 83:7); and it has the support of Assyria (Psalms 83:8). Much doubt exists as to the period of Israelite history whereto the psalm and the events it commemorates belong. The prevalent opinion identifies the movement with that made by Moab, Ammon, and E

SO PERSECUTE THEM WITH THY TEMPEST,.... Pursue them with thy fury, follow them with thy vengeance; cause it to fall upon them like a mighty tempest: AND MAKE THEM AFRAID WITH THY STORM; God has his storms and tempests of wrath and vengeance, which he sometimes causes to fall upon wicked men in this life, to their inexpressible terror, and with which he takes them out of this world; and he has still more horrible ones to rain upon them hereafter: see Job 27:20....

This is a Psalm that is not often read, and very seldom expounded, I should think. According to the title, it is «A Song or Psalm of Asaph.» Asaph is one of a little group of poets who flourished side by side with David. This is a patriotic hymn. The nation was about to be attacked by many adversaries; so, like a true patriot, the poet desired that God would give the victory to his people, and deliver them. You may regard this Psalm as a prophecy, it reads like a prayer or wish of the writer, and no doubt it is so; but it may also be read as a prophecy of what will happen to the enemies of God's people. Psalms 83:1. _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._ God's enemies are making a noise, and the psalmist's prayer is that the Lord himself will spe

Psalms 83 The Final Enemies Overthrown _ 1. The enemies in confederacy (Psalms 83:1)_ 2. Their complete defeat and fate (Psalms 83:9) Elsewhere in prophecy we read of the confederacies of nations, Israel's enemies, coming against the land of Israel in a final great onslaught. There will be an invasion from the north mentioned in Isaiah 29:1; Joel 2:1; Daniel 8:9, and in Zecha

LXXXIII. The date can be fixed with a near approach to certainty. The clue is furnished by 1 Maccabees 5. The victories of Judas Maccabæ us and the cleansing of the Temple in 165 B.C. (p. 607) were followed by a general uprising of the neighbouring States, which were jealous of Judah and bent on hindering its national revival. So far as we know, no simultaneous attack of this kind had ever occurred before or ever occurred again. But the political situation exactly corresponds to that here presupposed. To each account the names of the Edomites, Ammonites, Philistines, Arabians, Tyrians are common. The object of the attack is also identical, viz. to cut off Israel from being a nation. The poet recalls past victories in the time of the Judges and prays that Israel's enemies in his own time may meet with crushing defeat. Of the hostile nations mentioned Edom was on the S., Ammon on the E. of...

PERSECUTE. pursue....