Bible Commentaries
Psalms 83

Verse 3

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

Hidden ones — Thy people of Israel, who are called God’s hidden or secret ones, to intimate the respect which God has to them, as to his peculiar treasure.

Verse 6

The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

The tabernacles — The people dwelling in them.

Ishmaelites — Some of the posterity of Ishmael, called by their father’s name, as others of them are supposed to be called Hagarens from their grandmother Hagar.

Verse 7

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

Gebal — An Arabian people so called by ancient writers dwelling in the southern border of Canaan, where most of the people here mentioned had their abode.

Verse 8

Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. /*Selah*/.

Of Lot — Moab and Ammon.

Verse 13

O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

A wheel — Whereas they promise to themselves a sure possession, let them be like a wheel, which is very unstable, and soon removed.

Verse 14

As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;

The mountains — The woods upon the mountains, which in those hot countries, when they have once taken fire, burn with irresistible violence.

Verse 16

Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

May seek — May own and worship thee as the only true God.