Psalms 83:6

The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; THE TABERNACLES OF EDOM, AND THE ISHMAELITES; OF MOAB, AND THE HAGARENES. As the Edomites were not a wandering people, 'tents' are to be understood here as referring to their camp tents while engaged in the invasion of Israel. Edom, Moab, and Ammon were the ring-leaders; and around them respectively are grouped those allies whom they had induced to join in the expedition. This view accounts for the otherwise unaccountable separation of Moab and Ammon, which are elsewhere always joined together. With Edom are associated the Ishmaelites, because Edom dwelt in the desert of Arabia, between the Dead Sea and the Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea. What aggravated the conduct of Edom, Ammon, and Moab was, that this was the ungrateful return they made for the forbearance of Israel; because the Israelites, when they came out...

1-8 Sometimes God seems not to be concerned at the unjust treatment of his people. But then we may call upon him, as the psalmist here. All wicked people are God's enemies, especially wicked persecutors. The Lord's people are his hidden one; the world knows them not. He takes them under his special protection. Do the enemies of the church act with one consent to destroy it, and shall not the friends of the church be united? Wicked men wish that there might be no religion among mankind. They would gladly see all its restraints shaken off, and all that preach, profess, or practise it, cut off. This they would bring to pass if it were in their power. The enemies of God's church have always been many: this magnifies the power of the Lord in preserving to himself a church in the world....

Verse Psalms 83:6. _THE TABERNACLES OF EDOM_] The _tents_ of these different people are seen in the grand encampment. _Tents_ are probably mentioned because it seas the custom of some of these people, particularly the _Ishmaelites_, to live a migratory or wandering life; having no fixed habitation, but always abiding in tents. Their posterity remain to the present day, and act and live in the same manner. _HAGARENES_] These people dwelt on the east of _Gilead_; and were nearly destroyed in the days of Saul, being totally expelled from their country, 1 Chronicles 5:10, but afterwards recovered some strength and consequence; but where they dwelt after their expulsion by the Israelites is not known....

THE TABERNACLES OF EDOM - The tents of Edom; meaning here, the dwellers in those tents, that is, the Edomites. The word tabernacles or tents does not necessarily imply that the nation then led a wandering life, for the word came to signify in process of time a dwelling-place, or a habitation. The Edomites were not, in fact, a roving and wandering people, but a people of fixed boundaries. In early periods, however, like most ancient people, they doubtless dwelt in tents. Edom, or Idumea, was south of Palestine. See the notes at Isaiah 11:14. AND THE ISHMAELITES - The descendants of Ishmael. They dwelt in Arabia Deserta. OF MOAB - On the situation of Moab, see the notes at Isaiah 15:1. It was o

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

THE TABERNACLES OF EDOM, c] Or the Idumeans, as the Targum the posterity of Esau, who, with the rest that joined with them, hereafter mentioned, and made the confederate army, brought their tents with them, pitched them, and encamped in them against Israel: AND THE ISHMAELITES; or Arabians, as the Targum, who descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham: OF MOAB, AND THE HAGARENES; the Moabites, who sprung from Lot by one of his daughters, in an incestuous way; and the Hagarenes are the same with the Hagarites, 1 Chronicles 5:10 who dwelt to the east of the land of Israel, so called from Hagar, the handmaid of Abraham, but not by him, but by another husband, after sent away from him, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi think, or by him, supposing Hagar to be the same with Keturah, as some do: the Targum calls them Hungarians; the Syriac version renders it G

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...

TABERNACLES. tents. Hebrew. _'ohel_. See App-40. EDOM. Note the tenfold confederation of enemies in verses: Psalms 83:6, followed by the sevenfold destruction in verses: Psalms 83:10. the two making the number 17, the sum of the two numbers (10 ordinal perfection or completeness, and. spiritual perfection): 17 being the seventh prime number. Thus the three numbers correspond with the conspiracy of man, and judgment of God. See App-10....