Psalms 83:8

Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. ASSUR ALSO IS JOINED WITH THEM: THEY HAVE HOLPEN THE CHILDREN OF LOT - literally, 'they (i:e., not merely Assur, but all the nations just named) are an arm to the sons of Lot' (). Assyria stands last, as being farthest off, and engaged only indirectly and partially in the confederacy. The psalm must have been written before Assyria became a world-empire and mistress of western Asia. The Asshurim were, in part at least, akin to the Arabs, as descendants of Abraham (; ), and so take part in this movement of the Arab tribes. They on the far east stand in contrast to the Tyrians and Philistines on the west. "The children of Lot" are mentione...

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 83:8. _ASSUR ALSO IS JOINED_] The _Ammonites_ might have got those auxiliaries from beyond the Euphrates, against Jehosphaphat, as formerly they were brought against David. See 2 Samuel 10:16. _THEY HAVE HOLPEN THE CHILDREN OF LOT._] The Ammonites, who appear to have been the chief instigators in this war....

ASSUR ALSO IS JOINED WITH THEM - Assyria. Assyria was on the northeast of Palestine. The conspirators had secured, it seems, the aid of this powerful kingdom, and they felt confident of success. THEY HAVE HOLPEN THE CHILDREN OF LOT - The sons, or the descendants of Lot. The margin is, as the Hebrew, “been an arm to.” That is, they were an aid, or help; in other words, the sons of Lot were permitted, as it were, to make use of the arm of these powerful nations in accomplishing their purposes. The sons of Lot were Moab and Ammon, the ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites, Genesis 19:37. It would appear from this, that the purpose of destroying the Hebrew people had been originated by the Moabites and Ammonites, and that they had called in the aid of the surrounding nations to enable them to carry out their plan

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

ASSUR ALSO IS JOINED WITH THEM,.... Before mentioned, or Assyria, though at so great a distance from Israel, and unprovoked by them: according to R. Joseph Kimchi, the sense is, that the Assyrians joined them, continuing in their wickedness, though their army had been destroyed by an angel in Hezekiah's time, of which they were unmindful; but this, as his son observes, makes this confederacy and war to be after the times of Hezekiah; whereas it was long before it: the Targum is, "Sennacherib, king of Syria, is joined with them;'' and so some refer this to his invasion of Judea, and besieging Jerusalem, with an army consisting of many nations, in Hezekiah's time; but he was the principal there, and not an auxiliary, as here: THEY HAVE HOLPEN THE CHILDREN OF LOT; or were "an arm" h unto them, assisted and strengthened them: these were the Moabites and Ammonites, who were the principals...

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...

CHILDREN. sons. SELAH. Connecting these two things together, the former being that which calls forth the prayer: and connecting the _past_ confederacy with the future one of the "ten kingdoms" and the same Divine destruction....