Psalm 83:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

NIV: A song. A psalm of Asaph. O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.

NASB: God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.

CSB: A song. A psalm of Asaph. God, do not keep silent. Do not be deaf, God; do not be quiet.

NLT: O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God.

KJV: A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

NKJV: {A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.} Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God!

Asaph prays for God not to rest. He is aware that Israel's enemies are constructing threats against the nation (Psalm 83:3); Asaph's appeal is that God would intervene before there is an attack. Rather than allowing this to happen, the psalmist prays for God to exercise His power. Later verses include a long list of enemy nations banding together to see Israel destroyed.

Asaph addresses his plea to Elohim, the plural form of "god." The second "O God" uses El, referring to God's great power. Asaph knows God is omnipotent and therefore capable of warding off any threat that is raised against His people. The apostle Paul shares this concept of God as all-powerful. He realized that if God is for His people, no one can prevail against them. He tells the believers at Rome: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31), and declares, "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). When a child of God senses that he is in danger, he can do what Asaph did, appeal to the Mighty One to arise and act on his behalf. God will answer his prayer (Jeremiah 33:3; Philippians 4:4–8; 1 Peter 5:7; 1 John 5:13–15).

Psalm 83:1–8 forms the first half of Asaph's psalm. He urges God to act against Israel's enemies, who plan to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. These aggressors deliberately plan their assault; they agree about annihilating God's people. Asaph lists ten groups, which include many of Israel's historic enemies.

Asaph prays for God to intervene in a conspiracy. Many nations cooperate to erase Israel and her legacy. He asks the Lord for protection, asking Him to repeat the harsh judgments brought on pagan nations in the past. Asaph extends this by asking God to bring destruction, ruin, and humiliation on these opponents. Despite this, Asaph recognizes that the proper goal is for these nations to recognize that God alone is Most High. This is one of several "imprecatory" psalms such as Psalm 5, 10, 17, 109, and 137, which request God to deliver severe harm on some enemy.

This is the last psalm identified with Asaph. It is one of the imprecatory psalms which call for harsh judgment from God. Other such psalms include 5, 10, 35, 109, and 137. The psalm is not explicitly connected to a historical event. It may refer to the attack on Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20). Others see this as a general reference to the Gentile world's relentless attacks on Israel. Still others interpret this as a prophecy about a large-scale attack set to occur in the end times.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.