PsalmenKapitel 83

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A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not keep quiet; do not be silent, do not be still, O God.

See how your enemies are in an uproar, how those who hate you lift their heads.

Against your people they lay crafty plans; they conspire against those you treasure.

They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation, so that the name of Israel is remembered no more."

With one mind they scheme together; against you they make a covenant—

the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the people of Tyre.

Even Assyria has joined them; they are the strong arm of Lot's descendants. Selah

Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the brook Kishon,

who were destroyed at En-dor and became dung on the ground.

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

who said, "Let us take the pastures of God for our own possession."

My God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

As fire burns through a forest, as flames set the mountains ablaze,

so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.

Cover their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.

Let them be disgraced and dismayed forever; let them perish in humiliation.

Then they will know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

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Zusammenfassung2

Kapitel 83

Main Theme: A prayer for God's intervention against a coalition of enemies threatening Israel's existence.

Content: Asaph cries out to God not to remain silent while enemies conspire against his people. Ten nations have allied with the aim of completely wiping out Israel. The psalmist asks God to act as in the past against Midian, Sisera, and Jabin, and to humble the enemies so that they acknowledge that the Lord alone is the Most High over all the earth.

Key Words/Images:

Enemy Alliance (vv. 7–9): Ten nations, including Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, Ammon, and Assyria, gathered against Israel.
Historical Victories (vv. 10–12): References to God's past interventions against Midian and Canaanite kings.
Chaff Before the Wind (vv. 14–15): A picture of how God will scatter and destroy the enemies.
"Acknowledge that you alone are the Lord" (v. 19): The ultimate goal of the psalm is for all to recognize God's sovereignty.

Historischer Kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Psalm 83

People

The psalm mentions a number of peoples and nations that form a coalition against Israel. Edom were the descendants of Esau, settled southeast of the Dead Sea. The Ishmaelites were nomadic tribes traditionally regarded as descendants of Ishmael. Moab and Ammon ("Lot's sons," v. 9) were neighboring tribes east of the Jordan, related to Israel through Lot. The Hagrites were an Arab tribal group, possibly connected with Hagar. Gebal may refer either to a region in northern Edom or to the Phoenician city of Byblos (modern Jbeil in Lebanon); the context with Tyre may support the latter interpretation. Amalek was a nomadic people in the Negev desert, traditionally Israel's archenemy. The Philistines controlled the coastal plain, while Tyre was the powerful Phoenician trading city. Assyria is mentioned as an ally of the coalition, which may indicate a dating to the period of Assyrian supremacy (800–600 BC).

The psalm also refers to historical figures from the past: Sisera was the commander of the Canaanite king Jabin of Hazor and was defeated by Deborah and Barak. Jabin was the king whom Sisera served. Oreb and Zeeb were Midianite chieftains, while Zebah and Zalmunna were Midianite kings—all defeated by Gideon.

Places

The Kishon Brook (v. 10) is the river that flows through the Jezreel Valley, where Sisera suffered defeat when his chariots sank into the mud during a heavy flood (Judg 4–5). En-Dor (v. 11) lies at the foot of Mount Tabor, near the battlefield. The place is also known from the account of Saul and the medium (1 Sam 28), but in this psalm it is linked to the defeat of Sisera and the Midianites. Geographically, the coalition stretches from Assyria in the northeast to Amalek in the south, and from Tyre on the Mediterranean coast to Moab and Ammon in the east—an image of total encirclement of Israel.

Events and Customs

The psalm reflects the Old Testament tradition of "holy war," in which God himself fights for his people against overwhelming enemies. The references to Gideon's victory over the Midianites (Judg 7–8) and Deborah's victory over Sisera (Judg 4–5) serve as paradigms of divine intervention. In both cases, Israel prevailed against seemingly impossible odds through God's direct action. To become "like refuse for the ground" (v. 11) was the ultimate disgrace—being denied a dignified burial meant in the ancient Near East that one was completely wiped out and forgotten.

Key Terms

The expression צְפוּנֶיךָ (tsefunekha, "your hidden ones," v. 5) refers to God's specially protected possession—Israel as his treasure. The verb נָשְׂאוּ רֹאשׁ ("lift their head," v. 3) describes arrogant rebellion and a defiant attitude. כַגַּלְגַּל (kagalgal, v. 14) means "like a rolling wheel" or "like thistle driven by the wind"—an image of total helplessness. The term נְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים ("pastures of God," v. 13) refers to the promised land that the enemies seek to take possession of—God's own territory on earth.

Personen14

Lot1 Oreb1 Sisera1 Zalmunna1 Esau1 Asshur1 Zebah1 Jabin1 Asaph1 Seeb1 Ishmael1 Hagar1 Moab (Lot's son)1 Midian1

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Schlüsselwörter8

Enemies — Persons or groups who stand in opposition to or are in conflict with God's people.
Covenant — An agreement or alliance between different parties to achieve a common goal.
Hiding places — Places where someone hides to avoid discovery or danger.
To put an end to — To completely remove or destroy something.
Name — The identification or mark that distinguishes a person, object, or concept from others.
Israel — The name of the ancient kingdom and people chosen by God who played a central role in the Old Testament.
Mountains — Large natural formations rising above the earth's surface, often used as symbols of strength and stability.
Sela — A mountain or rock formation mentioned in the book of Psalms, believed to be a place in present-day Jordan.