Click here to read PSALM 83 in poetic form
Background
Psalm 83 is in the Leviticus book of the Psalms (73—89). The Old Testament book of Leviticus focuses on matters in the sanctuary: the priesthood, ceremonial laws, and feasts. Almost all of these 17 Psalms mention the sanctuary and God’s relation to it. Psalm 83 shows the Messiah overcoming God’s enemies in the sanctuary.
This is the last Psalm that has the title “of Asaph.” Psalm 50 in the Exodus book of the Psalms also has this title. There are 11 Psalms (73-83) with this title in the Leviticus book of Psalms. Regarding Asaph, Nehemiah 7:44 speaks of “The singers: the children of Asaph.” They were responsible for worship in the Temple. For further study on Asaph, see II Kings 18:18,37; I Chronicles 6:39; 9:15; 15:17,19; 16:5,7,37; 25:1,2,6,9; 26:1; II Chronicles 5:12; 20:14; 29:13,30; 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Nehemiah 2:8; 7:44; 11:17,22; 12:35,46; Psalms 50:1; 73:1; 74:1; 75:1; 76:1; 77:1; 78:1; 79:1; 80:1; 81:1; 82:1; 83:1; Isaiah 36:3,22.
This Psalm is divided into two sections by the Hebrew term “Selah,” which means to pause. Some Bible teachers say this connected the truths that come before and after the term.
Structure
(Verse 1) Plea for God’s help: Be not silent
(Verses 2-8) The enemies’ confederation against Israel (10 listed)
Pause
(Verses 9-17) God’s justice to the enemies’ confederation against Israel (7 listed)
(Verse 18) Result of God’s help: men may know that the Lord is Most High over the earth
Key Scriptures
Verses 5-8—”The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot.” There are 10 groups listed in this confederacy against Israel. Edom is another name for Esau: “And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom” (Genesis 25:30). The Ishmaelites are descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. The Edomites and Ishmaelites were related. “Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had…” (Genesis 28:9). Moab and Ammon were descendants of Lot by his two daughters. “Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day” (Genesis 19:36-38). The Hagarenes are descendants of Hagar through her son, Ishmael (Genesis 25:12). God told Abraham to send away Hagar because Ishmael was mocking his true and promised heir, Isaac. “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Nevertheless what saith the scripture [Genesis 21:10]? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” (Galatians 4:23,30). Israel was at war with the descendants of Hagar. “And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead” (I Chronicles 5:10). Gebal was a Phoenician city, not far from the sea coast and called Byblos by the Greeks. It is mentioned in Ezekiel 27:9: “The ancients of Gebal … all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.” Amalek was a longstanding enemy of Israel. God instructed Moses to remove this nation from the earth. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven…For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:14-16). The Philistines were another historical enemy of Israel. They are mentioned when the nations were dispersed after the flood in Noah’s day. “And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim” (Genesis 10:14). They had a king when Isaac journeyed there (Genesis 26:1). Samson, Saul, and David all battled the Philistines, notably of whom was Goliath. Tyre is first mentioned in the Bible as “the strong city Tyre” (Joshua 19:29). It’s King Hiram was a friend of David and Solomon (I Kings 5:1), and he helped them in the construction of the temple. Assur is another name for Assyria. Esarhaddon king of Assur is mentioned in Ezra 4:2, and then as the king of Assyria in II Kings 19:37. The “children of Lot” are the Moabites and Ammonites as described above.
Verses 9-11—“Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished at Endor…Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna.” These are all examples of Israel’s victory over their enemies in the Judges period. Midian: Gideon and his 300 men defeated Midian in Judges 7. Sisera: under the leadership of Deborah, “the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak” in Judges 4:15. Jabin: Sisera was “the captain of Jabin’s army” (Judges 4:7). “So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel” (Judges 4:23). Oreb and Zeeb: The men of Ephraim “took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan” (Judges 7:25). Zebah and Zalmunna: “And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna…” (Judges 8:21).
Verse 18—Note that the subscript to this Psalm is “upon Gittith.” This subscript means “a winepress” and refers to the Feast of Tabernacles and the harvesting of grapes. See also Psalms 7 and 80 with the same subscript. Here it relates to God’s protection and deliverance over the enemy in the sanctuary, as when booths were made during the Feast of Tabernacles.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
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The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
