Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. Psalms 83:1.-Prayer for God's open interposition (); since God's foes tumultuously assail Israel in a vast confederacy of ten nations, Edom, Ammon, and Moab being the center (Psalms 83:2); prayer, grounded on God's past de... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. FOR, LO, THINE ENEMIES MAKE A TUMULT. God's people rightly remind their Father that the invade are not merely their enemies, but His; therefore His honour is at stake in delivering them-an all-prevailing plea.... [ Continue Reading ]
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. THEY HAVE TAKEN CRAFTY COUNSEL AGAINST THY PEOPLE - They combine craft with violence. AND CONSULTED AGAINST THY HIDDEN ONES - thy people whom God 'in the time of trouble hides (so His special treasure, )... [ Continue Reading ]
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. THEY HAVE SAID, COME, AND LET US CUT THEM OFF - let us extirpate them. Compare ; 2 Chronicles 20:10 for the coincidence with the history. So Haman plotted to root out all the... [ Continue Reading ]
For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: FOR THEY HAVE, CONSULTED TOGETHER WITH ONE CONSENT - Hebrew, 'with the heart unanimously' (Psalms 64:5), implying the hearty zeal with which they entered the plot. THEY ARE CONFEDERATE AGAINST THEE - literall... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Isra... [ Continue Reading ]
Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; GEBAL, AND AMMON, AND AMALEK. Gebal was an Idumean clan, on the right of Ammon, as Amalek was on the left of Ammon, and extended thence to the region between Idumea and Egypt. Ammon held the region between the Arnon and... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: DO UNTO THEM AS UNTO THE MIDIANITES - overthrown by mutual destruction, Gideon leading 300 men of Israel (: cf. on a different occasion ). This was the very way whereby God destroyed Jehoshaphat's foes in answ... [ Continue Reading ]
Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. WHICH PERISHED AT EN-DOR: THEY BECAME AS DUNG FOR THE EARTH. En-dor is not mentioned in Judges as the scene of the overthrow of Midian. The Psalmist had other sources of information besides that book. In En-dor is mentioned with Taanach... [ Continue Reading ]
Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: MAKE THEIR NOBLES LIKE OREB AND LIKE ZEEB; YEA, ALL THEIR PRINCES AS ZEBAH AND AS ZALMUNNA. Oreb and Zeeb were the prince-generals of Midian (). Zebah and Zalmunna were their kings (; ; ; ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. WHO SAID, LET US TAKE TO OURSELVES THE HOUSES OF GOD IN POSSESSION - i:e., Canaan given by God Himself to Israel. Herein lay their main guilt. Jehoshaphat in says, "Behold ... how they reward us, to come to cast us out of THY po... [ Continue Reading ]
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 whir... [ Continue Reading ]