Psalm 83:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

NIV: Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

NASB: Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,

CSB: Deal with them as you did with Midian, as you did with Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

NLT: Do to them as you did to the Midianites and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

KJV: Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

NKJV: Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,

Asaph (Psalm 83:1) begins a passionate plea for the Lord to punish an aggressive coalition of nations (Psalm 83:6–8). These opponents are conspiring to annihilate the people of Israel (Psalm 83:2–5). Here, the psalm transitions into direct requests, calling on God for specific consequences. These harsh requests establish Psalm 83 as one of the "imprecatory psalms;" to "imprecate" means "to wish evil or to curse." At first, Asaph uses historical examples.

When Israel first came into the Promised Land, the Midianites became one of their most insidious enemies. Working with the Moabites (Numbers 22:2–4) and with the advice of a greedy seer (Numbers 31:16), they led Israel into terrible immorality and evil. In response, God commanded their extermination (Numbers 31:7). Israel failed to follow through on this, and during the era of the judges (Judges 2:16–19), Midian oppressed Israel (Judges 6:1). Gideon arose to thoroughly defeat Midian despite their overwhelming numbers (Judges 7:12, 24–25).

Earlier in that same era, a Canaanite king named Jabin oppressed Israel along with his general, Sisera (Judges 4:1–3). Deborah and Barak were called to fight back near the Kishon river (Judges 4:12–14). They eventually defeated and killed Jabin (Judges 4:23–24). After his army was erased (Judges 4:15–16), Sisera attempted to escape, only to be tricked and killed by a clever woman (Judges 4:17, 21).

In the following verse, Asaph will describe the fate of these historical enemies in gruesome terms (Psalm 83:10). Given that context, Asaph's request is brutal. He is asking God to bring terror and destruction on these adversaries.

Psalm 83:9–18 comes after Asaph's plea: that God will stop the coalition of enemies attempting to destroy Israel. Here, Asaph directly asks the Lord to punish these opponents. He asks God to disgrace them, annihilate them, and make them acknowledge that the Lord alone is the Most High over all the earth. These requests place this song among the "imprecatory psalms."

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.