Psalms 83:1

A complaint to God of the enemies' conspiracies. A prayer against them that oppress the church.

A Song or Psalm of Asaph.

Title. ףּלאס מזמור שׁיר Shiir mizmor lesaph.— It has been commonly thought, that this psalm was occasioned by the confederacy mentioned 2 Chronicles 20 when it came to pass that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other, besides the Ammonites, came with Jehoshaphat to battle: But Dr. Delaney is of opinion, that it was composed by David, when the Philistines, confederated with these other nations, invaded him. And though only the Philistines are mentioned in the history of that invasion, he supposes the reason of that to be, because they were the principals, and the other nations only allies and confederates of theirs. He thinks it improbable that Jehoshaphat should in this psalm pray to God for such a deliverance as he had wrought for his people by Barak and Gideon, and forget or omit all those which he had wrought by the hands of David his father. And he observes, that in his prayer offered up in the greatest terror of his enemies, Jehoshaphat numbers openly the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir; and we cannot doubt, says he, that both his fears, and the occasion, called upon him to recount the whole number of his enemies. In answer to these objections, it may be observed, that the reason why Jehoshaphat mentioned only the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, and no more of his enemies, might be the same with that given in the prayer itself for mentioning them at all; viz. because of their ingratitude to the children of Israel, who never had in the least disturbed or injured them; no, not when the Israelites were in the greatest straits, and under the strongest temptation to do it; i.e. when they came to take possession of the land of Canaan. As to the first objection, there seems to be no absurdity in supposing Jehoshaphat to mention those actions under Barak and Gideon, and not those of a later date; because the country of the Midianites was contiguous to that of the Moabites and Seirites: and when the Psalmist had them principally in view, because they were principally concerned in this invasion, and for the other reason just now mentioned, it was natural for him to pray, that they might have no better success in this expedition than their neighbours, the Midianites, had in theirs against his ancestors, when they were defeated by Gideon: and then we may easily conceive, that the mention of this destruction of the Midianites might bring to his mind that other of the Canaanites by Barak; for both these battles were fought very near the same place: When Sisera's forces were vanquished, the chief place of action was Taanach, a town in the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 5:19 and the other victory over Oreb and Zeeb, was obtained within the same half tribe, near Abel-meholah and Bethbara, Judges 7:22; Judges 7:24. We may observe too, that the Amalekites were with the Midianites when Gideon overcame them; and they were now with the Moabites and Ammonites; and this might be another reason why the Psalmist should mention them upon this occasion. And it is evident enough, that the action under Barak is only mentioned, as it were, by the bye; and as a thing which, upon the mention of the other, occurred to the Psalmist's mind; whereas he returns again to the overthrow of the Midianites and Amalekites by Gideon. So that what is said of Sisera should be read in a parenthesis, thus: "Do thou to them as formerly thou didst to their neighbours, the Midianites, who were engaged in a like attempt against thy people; (or as thou didst unto Sisera and Jabin, whom thou didst overthrow near the same place;) make them, I say, and their princes like Oreb and Zeeb, yea, make all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, those princes of Midian, &c." In this manner the Psalmist's thoughts seem to be naturally and easily connected.