Psalm 83:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

NIV: Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

NASB: Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

CSB: Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.

NLT: Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre.

KJV: Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

NKJV: Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Asaph's list of enemies conspiring to attack Israel (Psalm 83:1–5) has noted the Edomites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and Hagrites (Psalm 83:6). Here, he mentions five more groups who sought Israel's total annihilation: Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, and Tyre. The next verse will include Asshur (Psalm 83:8). This roster doesn't cleanly align with any event recorded in Scripture. It may be a prophecy of the future, or a general statement about how Israel's enemies come from all sides. Another potential match is an incident with Jehoshaphat; this would imply this psalm was written in the style of Asaph, not by Asaph himself (2 Chronicles 20:14).

Gebal was a Phoenician port primarily known for trade and craft (Ezekiel 27:9; 1 Kings 5:18; Joshua 13:5). Ammon, brother of Moab, was born out of an incestuous incident involving Abraham's nephew, Lot (Genesis 19:34–38). They were another of Israel's historic enemies (Judges 10:7–8; 2 Samuel 12:26). The Amalekites were one of Israel's most bitter, harassing, and recurrent foes (Exodus 17:8; Judges 6:3; 1 Samuel 15:1–9; Samuel 30:1) until their seeming erasure by David (1 Chronicles 4:43). Tyre was among the more important Phoenician cities.

The Philistines (Judges 3:1–3) are probably Israel's most well-known enemy from the Old Testament. The stories of Samson (Judges 16:28–30), Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2–3), Saul (1 Samuel 14:52), and David (2 Samuel 5:25; 1 Chronicles 18:1) are directly tied to battles between Israel and Philistia.

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.