Psalms 83:1 «A Song [or] Psalm of Asaph. » Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. Ver. 1. _Keep not thou silence, O God_] _Ter idem dicit ad vehementiam._ He saith the same thing thrice, to show his earnestness. The Hebrew is, Be not silent to thee, that is, in t... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Ver. 2. _For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult_] _Concurrunt magno impetu, conatu, et ardore,_ Thine, because ours; for there is a league offensive and defensive between God and his people; the Church must, theref... [ Continue Reading ]
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. Ver. 3. _They have taken crafty counsel, &c._] They have negotiated this league with much subtilty and solicitation, _conferunt et captant consilia,_ they are cruel crafties. _Malignaverunt consilium,_ saith t... [ 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. Ver. 4. _They have said, Come, &c._] The wicked have their Come, Proverbs 1:11, as well as the saints, Isaiah 2:3; Isa 2:5 Zechariah 8:21, but for a worse purpose. _ Let us c... [ Continue Reading ]
For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: Ver. 5. _They have consulted together with one consent_] Heb. with one heart, _concorditer,_ as if they had all but one heart. This was not unity, but conspiracy; such as is that of Papists, Revelation 17:13,14 .... [ Continue Reading ]
The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Ver. 6. _The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, &c._] _Exercitu ex variis gentibus conflato,_ at odds among themselves, and yet well agreed for a mischief to the Church, who might ever well say, as the hare in Martial,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;_ Ver. 7. _Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek_] Sic enarrat et enumerat inimicos decem conglobatos, Ezekiel 27:9. Answerable whereunto were the ten kings of Christendom, who gave their power to the beast. Gebal might be the inhab... [ Continue Reading ]
Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. Ver. 8. _Assur also is joined with them_] The Chaldee paraphraseth, Sennacherib, also the king of Asshur, &c. So doth the Turk, with the Church's enemies; howbeit, Italy is the mark he shooteth at; and the Protestants have... [ Continue Reading ]
Do unto them as [unto] the Midianites; as [to] Sisera, as [to] Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Ver. 9. _Do unto them as unto the Midianites_] And how that was, see Judges 6:1,40; Judges 7:1,25; Judges 8:1,21. _Preces sunt bombardae et instrumenta bellica Christianorum_ saith Luther.... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 83:10 [Which] perished at Endor: they became [as] dung for the earth. Ver. 10. _Which perished at Endor_] A place in the tribe of Manasseh near unto that ancient river, the river Kison, Jos 17:11 1 Samuel 28:7 _ They became as dunq_] They lay unburied, rotted above ground, and were spread a... [ Continue Reading ]
Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Ver. 11. _Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb_] Oreb signifieth a crow, Zeeb a wolf. Zebah a cut-throat, Zalmunna a forbidder of shadow, or quiet, to his subjects; fit names for tyrants and persecut... [ Continue Reading ]
Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. Ver. 12. _Let us take to ourselves the houses of God_] Covetous impropriators and oppressors have learned this language. _Possidebant Papistae, possident Rapistae,_ saith one wittily.... [ Continue Reading ]
O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. Ver. 13. _O my God, make them like a wheel_] Heb. Like a rolling thing, such as is thistle down, saith R. Solomon, _Capita carduorum._ Gr. like a top, _Torque illos in modum trochi,_ whirl them about as boys do their tops. _ As the... [ Continue Reading ]
As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; Ver. 14. _As the fire burneth a wood_] _Maxime quando a vento flabellatur_, when blown up by a fierce wind it soon turneth a wood into a waste. _ And as the flame setteth, the mountains on fire_] Those sulphury mountains,... [ Continue Reading ]
So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Ver. 15. _So persecute them with thy tempest_] _Turbina eos_, that they may stand or stay nowhere. _ And make them afraid, &c._] So fright them with thy heavy judgments that all their wit and courage wherewith they should hel... [ Continue Reading ]
Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Ver. 16. _Fill their faces with shame_] By confounding their confidences, and blasting their designs. They promised themselves a triumph, but let them have the canvas. _ That they may seek thy name, O Lord_] _Ut inviti cogantur quis... [ Continue Reading ]
Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: Ver. 17. _Let them be confounded, &c._] This and the following verse are an exposition of the former verse. The Rabbis have a saying, _nulla est obiectio in Lege, quae non habet solutionem in latere_, The Scrip... [ Continue Reading ]
That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth. Ver. 18. _That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah_] The essentiator, Isaiah 44:6, with Act 17:25 Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8. The Jews pronounce not this name at all, but use Ad... [ Continue Reading ]