Psa 83 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ps 83:1-18: Ps 83 This community lament asks God for rescue and victory. The terse poetry suggests difficult times. A powerful coalition desires to destroy Israel (83:1-4 ) and allies itself against God (83:5-8 ). Recalling the fate of others who came against Israel (83:9-12 ), the psalmist prays that the same will happen to these enemies (83:13-16 ) so that God will receive honor among them (83:17-18 ). It is unclear whether this psalm arose out of a specific historical instance of opposition by these nations, or if it is a poetic collage of nations representing Israel’s enemies. Summary for Ps 83:1-4: 83:1-4 The enemy has successfully intimidated God’s people, so the poet prays that the Lord will hear and act.

Summary for Ps 83:1-18: Ps 83 ^a This community lament asks God for rescue and victory. The terse poetry suggests difficult times. A powerful coalition desires to destroy Israel (83:1-4 ^b) and allies itself against God (83:5-8 ^c). Recalling the fate of others who came against Israel (83:9-12 ^d), the psalmist prays that the same will happen to these enemies (83:13-16 ^e) so that God will receive honor among them (83:17-18 ^f). It is unclear whether this psalm arose out of a specific historical instance of opposition by these nations, or if it is a poetic collage of nations representing Israel’s enemies.
Summary for Ps 83:1-4: 83:1-4 ^g The enemy has successfully intimidated God’s people, so the poet prays that the Lord will hear and act.
Summary for Ps 83:5-8: 83:5-8 ^h signed a treaty: The allies agreed to fight against God and his people. The nations that are named in the alliance were situated around Israel and Judah.
Summary for Ps 83:6-7: 83:6-7 ⁱ The Edomites, descendants of Esau, were located to the southeast of Judah (see Gen 25:30 ^j; 32:3 ^k; 36:1-8 ^l).

• Ishmaelites were desert-dwelling descendants of Hagar.

• Moabites and Ammonites descended from Lot; both were located to the east of Israel and Judah.

• The Hagrites were possibly located north of the Ammonites (1 Chr 5:10 ^m).
83:7 ⁿ The Gebalites probably came from Gebal/Byblos on the coast of Lebanon.

• The Amalekites were located south of Israel in the Negev.

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

• Tyre was a port city on the Mediterranean, northwest of Israel.
83:8 ^o Assyria was northeast of Israel and north of the Persian Gulf.

• The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and the Ammonites (83:6-7 ^p).
Summary for Ps 83:9-18: 83:9-18 ^q The psalmist prays that God will miraculously destroy the new coalition as he did three other enemies; doing so would bring him glory.
Summary for Ps 83:9-11: 83:9-11 ^r The Midianites, ruled by Zebah and Zalmunna and led by Oreb and Zeeb, were Israel’s enemy in the days of Gideon (Judg 7:1–8:5 ^s). Barak’s coalition defeated Sisera and Jabin (Judg 4 ^t).
83:12 ^u The coalition’s motivation for wiping out Israel was to acquire the land (see Jer 3:19 ^v).
83:13 ^w tumbleweed ... chaff: This dry plant material easily blows away (see Isa 17:13 ^x).
Summary for Ps 83:14-15: 83:14-15 ^y fire ... fierce storm ... tempest: These are images of God’s manifestation in judgment (see Isa 29:6 ^z).