Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 83:13
O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
13. make them like a wheel ] Rather, like whirling dust or chaff. Anything whirled away before the wind may be meant. Thomson ( Land and Book, p. 563) thinks that the globular heads of the wild artichoke may be meant. They are light as a feather, and in the autumn when they break off from the parent stem “thousands of them come scudding over the plain, rolling, leaping, bounding with vast racket, to the dismay both of the horse and rider.” The Arabs, who call it ’akkb, “derive one of their many forms of cursing from this plant: ‘May you be whirled like the’ akkb before the wind.’ ”
as the stubble ] As stubble. Dry, light, broken straw, whirled away from the threshing floor, which was usually in an exposed situation to catch the wind, is meant. Cp. Isa 17:13; Isa 29:5; Jer 13:24; Psa 1:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
13 18. Renewed prayer for the dispersion and destruction of the enemy expressed by figures from nature. The final end and object of all is that they may acknowledge Jehovah to be supreme.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O my God, make them like a wheel … – Or rather, like a rolling thing – something that the wind rolls along. The word galgal – means properly a wheel, as of a chariot, Eze 10:2, Eze 10:6; or a wheel for drawing water from a well, Ecc 12:6; then, a whirlwind, Psa 77:19; and then, anything driven before a whirlwind, as chaff, or stubble, Isa 17:13. Compare the notes at Isa 22:18. The prayer here is, that they might be utterly destroyed, or driven away.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. O my God, make them like a wheel] Alluding to the manner of threshing corn in the east. A large broad wheel was rolled over the grain on a threshing-floor, which was generally in the open air; and the grain being thrown up by a shovel against the wind the chaff was thus separated from it, in the place where it was threshed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whereas they promise to themselves a sure and firm possession in our land, let them be like
a wheel, or a round ball, which being once tumbled down from the top of a hill, runs down with great force and swiftness, and stays not till it comes to the bottom, and there also is very unstable, and soon removed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. like a wheelor, whirlingof any light thing (Isa 17:13),as stubble or chaff (Ps 1:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O my God, make them like a wheel,…. Which, as the Targum adds, is rolled, and goes on, and rests not in a declivity; let them be as fickle and inconstant as a wheel; being in high, let them be in slippery places, and brought down to desolation in a moment; like a wheel set running down hill, so let them swiftly and suddenly come to ruin; or be in all kind of calamities, and continual troubles k as the wheel is always turning: some think there is an allusion to the wheel by which bread corn was bruised; see Isa 28:28, but the word l signifies a rolling thing before the wind, as a wisp of straw or stubble, which is easily carried away with it: Jarchi interprets it of the tops or down of thistles, which fly off from them, and roll up, and are scattered by the wind; see Isa 17:13, and which agrees with what follows:
as the stubble before the wind; which cannot stand before it, but is driven about by it here and there; and so wicked men are, as chaff and stubble, driven away in their wickedness, with the stormy wind of divine wrath and vengeance, and chased out of the world, which is here imprecated.
k “Vide Suidam in voce” . l “rem in levem quae turbine circumagitur”, some in Amama; “pappos”, i.e. “lanuginem carduorum”, so some in Grotius; “as a rolling thing”, Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With the , which constrains God in faith, the “thundering down” begins afresh. signifies a wheel and a whirling motion, such as usually arises when the wind changes suddenly, then also whatever is driven about in the whirling, Isa 17:13.
(Note: Saadia, who renders the in Psa 77:19 as an astronomical expression with Arab. ‘l – frk , the sphere of the heavens, here has professedly Arab. kalgrablt , which would be a plural from expanded out of Arab. grabl , “sieves” or “tambourines;” it is, however, to be read, as in Isa 17:13, Codex Oxon., Arab. kalgirbalt . The verb Arab. garbala , “to sift,” is transferred to the wind, e.g., in Mutanabbi (edited with Wahidi’s commentary by Dieterici), p. 29, l. 5 and 6: “it is as though the dust of this region, when the winds chase one another therein, were sifted,” Arab. mugarbalu (i.e., caught up and whirled round); and with other notional and constructional applications in Makkar , i. p. 102, l. 18: “it is as though its soil had been cleansed from dust by sifting,” Arab. gurbilat (i.e., the dust thereof swept away by a whirlwind). Accordingly Arab. girbalat signifies first, as a nom. vicis , a whirling about (of dust by the wind), then in a concrete sense a whirlwind, as Saadia uses it, inasmuch as he makes use of it twice for . So Fleischer in opposition to Ewald, who renders “like the sweepings or rubbish.”)
(from , Arab. qss , aridum esse ) is the cry corn-talks, whether as left standing or, as in this instance, as straw upon the threshing-floor or upon the field. Like a fire that spreads rapidly, laying hold of everything, which burns up the forest and singes off the wooded mountain so that only a bare cone is left standing, so is God to drive them before Him in the raging tempest of His wrath and take them unawares. The figure in Psa 83:15 is fully worked up by Isaiah, Isa 10:16-19; as in Deu 32:22. In the apodosis, Psa 83:16, the figure is changed into a kindred one: wrath is a glowing heat ( ) and a breath ( , Isa 30:33) at the same time. In Psa 83:17 it becomes clear what is the final purpose towards which this language of cursing tends: to the end that all, whether willingly or reluctantly, may give the glory to the God of revelation. Directed towards this end the earnest prayer is repeated once more in the tetrastichic closing strain.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
13. O my God! make them like a whirling ball. As the ungodly, when they gird and prepare themselves for destroying the Church, are usually inflated with intolerable pride, the inspired bard beseeches God to put them to shame, it being impossible to abate their pride until they are laid prostrate, confounded, and shamefully disappointed. When he declares (verse 16) that, as the result of this, they will seek the name of God, he is not to be understood as speaking of their being brought to true repentance, or of their genuine conversion. I indeed admit that the first step to genuine repentance is when men, brought low by affliction, willingly humble themselves. But what is here meant is nothing more than a forced and slavish submission like that of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It is a case of frequent occurrence for the wicked, when subdued by adversity, to give glory to God, for a short period. But they are soon again carried away with a frantic madness, which clearly discovers their hypocrisy, and brings to light the pride and rebellion which lurked in their hearts. What the prophet desires is, that the wicked may be compelled by stripes to acknowledge God, whether they will or no, in order that their fury, which breaks forth because they escape with impunity, may at least be kept under restraint. This is more clearly apparent from the 17 verse, where he distinctly prays that they may be destroyed for ever; which would not at all correspond with his previous statement, were it regarded as a prayer for their being brought to repentance. Nor does he needlessly heap together such a multiplicity of words. He does this partly because the reprobate, though often chastised, are nevertheless so incorrigible that ever and anon they are mustering up new strength and courage; and partly because there is nothing which it is more difficult to be persuaded of than that such as wallow at ease in great outward prosperity will soon perish. The cause to which this is to be attributed is just our not sufficiently apprehending the dreadful character of the vengeance of God which awaits the oppressors of the Church.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) A wheel.Heb., galgal. (See Note, Psa. 77:18, and comp. Isa. 17:13, where the Authorised Ver sion has literally rolling thing, the margin thistle down, and the LXX., dust of a wheel.) Sir G. Grove (Smiths Bibl. Dict., art. Oreb) says, like the spherical masses of dry weeds which course over the plains of Esdraelon and Philistia. He possibly refers to the wild artichoke, which struck Mr. Thomson so forcibly as the origin of the psalmists figure. He describes them as vegetable globes, light as a feather, which, when the parent stem breaks, become the sport of the wind. At the proper season thousands of them come suddenly over the plain, rolling, leaping, bounding with vast racket, to the dismay both of the horse and rider. To this day the Arabs, who call it akhb, employ it in the same figurative way:
May you be whirled like akhb before the wind!
THOMSON: Land and Book, 563.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Like a wheel Like a rolling thing, parallel to Isa 17:13. The whirlwind seems alluded to. “A whirlwind is the most curious of all the visitations [of the Sinai desert] to which one is exposed. It is as violent as the most awful storm, tearing up every thing in its path, but it is so partial that you may stand a yard or so off and watch its progress undisturbed.” Palmer. See note on Psa 58:9
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 83:13. O my God, make them like a wheel This and the following verse seem to allude to the manner of threshing in Judea; which was generally performed on a mountain, where the corn was threshed by means of a wheel, which ran over the stalks. The chaff, on account of this situation, was easily blown about by the wind; and it being customary likewise to burn what remained, it is with great propriety that the Psalmist concludes the description with these words, As the flame setteth the mountains on fire, Psa 83:14.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 83:13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
Ver. 13. O my God, make them like a wheel ] Heb. Like a rolling thing, such as is thistle down, saith R. Solomon, Capita carduorum. Gr. like a top, Torque illos in modum trochi, whirl them about as boys do their tops.
As the stubble
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 83:13-18
13O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind.
14Like fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,
15So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
16Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
18That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
Psa 83:13-18 This strophe is a prayer for YHWH to act in judgment on Israel’s behalf.
1. make them – BDB 1011, KB 1483, Qal imperative
a. like whirling dust, cf. Isa 17:13; Isa 29:5; Isa 41:15-16
b. like chaff before the wind, cf. Isa 17:13
c. like fire that burns the forest
d. like a flame that sets the mountains on fire
2. pursue them – BDB 922, KB 1191, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
3. terrify them – BDB 96, KB 111, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense
4. fill their faces with dishonor – BDB 569, KB 583, Piel imperative
5. let them be ashamed – BDB 101, KB 116, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
6. let them be dismayed – BDB 96, KB 111, Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense
7. let them be humiliated – BDB 344, KB 340, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
8. let them perish – BDB 1, KB 2, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
There are two more which show the intended purpose of judgment, which is to help the nations come to worship YHWH (see Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive Plan ).
1. that they may seek Your name, O YHWH – BDB134, KB 152, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense (Psa 83:16)
2. that they may know that You alone are the Most High over all the earth – BDB 393, KB 390, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense (Psa 83:17)
Psa 83:17 Notice the parallelism between forever and persists. These reflect on Psa 83:4, where the nations wanted Israel to cease to exist!
Psa 83:18 over all the earth This universal element is common in the Psalms of Asaph! It is the obvious necessary conclusion to monotheism (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM ).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. Does this Psalm reflect a historical invasion by a coalition of nations or historical imagery?
2. How does Psa 83:1 reflect the fear and confusion of Israel?
3. How are Psa 83:4-5 related to YHWH’s larger redemptive plan? Is there a Satanic attempt to thwart God’s redemptive activity?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
wheel. Hebrew. galgal, a rolling thing. Probably the wild artichoke, which throws out branches of equal length, and, when ripe and dry, breaks off at the root, and is carried by the wind, rolling like a wheel over the plains. Compare Isa 17:13; where it is again used with “chaff”, and rendered “a rolling thing” (margin thistledown).
stubble = straw. Hebrew. kash = the dry haulm of grain, which is carried about by the wind like the galgal.
wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 83:13-18
Psa 83:13-18
PRAYER FOR OVERTHROW OF ALL ISRAEL’S ENEMIES
“O God, make them like the whirling dust;
As stubble before the wind.
And the fire that burneth the forest,
And as the flame that setteth the mountains on fire,
Pursue them with thy tempest,
And terrify them with thy storm.
Fill their faces with confusion,
That they may seek thy name, O Jehovah.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
Yea, let them be confounded and perish;
That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah,
Art the Most High Over all the earth.”
“Like a wheel” (Psa 83:13). This rendition is given in some versions instead of “like the whirling dust”; and Leupold understood it as a reference to “the tumbleweed.
“The whirling dust” (Psa 83:13). This was possibly a whirlwind, a phenomenon that appears but a little while, soon vanishing away.
“As the fire that burneth the forest” (Psa 83:14). There is no more terrible figure of destruction than that of a forest fire; and the meaning here is that the psalmist is praying that the destruction of Israel’s enemies will be as thorough and complete as that caused by a forest fire.
“Pursue with thy tempest … terrify with thy storm” (Psa 83:15). The psalmist prays not merely for the destruction of their foes, but for God to overwhelm them also with fright and terror.
“That they may seek thy name, O Jehovah” (Psa 83:16). Leupold understood this line as a prayer for the conversion of Israel’s enemies. “These words are obviously another way of saying, “That they may be turned from their evil ways to God.” While freely admitting that this view could indeed be correct, the psalmist, nevertheless, called in the same breath for their shame and dismay forever, and that they might perish (Psa 83:17). This may be explained by the assumption that the psalmist certainly expected no such conversion on the part of his enemies.
“Thou whose name is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth” (Psa 83:18). We have been greatly surprised by the frequency with which Jehovah is called “Most High” in the Psalms. A very necessary deduction from the instance of this here is that “all Israel” accepted “Most High” as a legitimate appellation of Jehovah. The prayer is here that even all of the enemies of God and of Israel may come into that same knowledge.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 83:13. Wheel is from GALGAL and Strong’s definition says: “A whirlwind; also dust (as whirled).” The thought of David was that God would whirl or fling the enemies away as so much dust. His other comparison was that God would blow them out of the way as stubble or any straw is driven before wind because of its lightness.
Psa 83:14. Other comparisons were made to the effect that fire has upon material. The wrath of God would be the fire and the enemies the wood to be consumed.
Psa 83:15. We generally think of persecute as meaning unjust rough treatment; the original word does not necessarily mean that. Strong defines it, “To run after (usually with hostile intent),” but nothing is said about its being done unjustly. An officer would have the right to chase a man who was wanted for misbehaviour. David regarded his enemies as wicked people and prayed God to pursue them with just vengeance.
Psa 83:16. The motive that David expressed for wishing shame on the enemies was a good one; that they might be led to seek the name of God.
Psa 83:17. To be confounded means to be disappointed and defeated. The motive David had for this wish was similar to the one expressed in the preceding verse, and it will be stated in the following verse.
Psa 83:18. The motive to which reference was made was that men might learn about the true God. They were to know that he alone had right to the name JEHOVAH which means, “(the) self-Existent or Eternal.” The nations of the world had their heathen gods, but many of them had been made by the hands of the worshipers. The God whom the Israelites worshiped existed independent of all external forces.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
O my: Psa 22:1, Psa 44:4, Psa 74:11, Psa 74:12
like: Isa 17:12-14
as the: Psa 35:5, Psa 68:1, Psa 68:2, Exo 15:7, Job 13:25, Job 21:18, Isa 40:24, Isa 41:2, Jer 13:24, Mat 3:12
Reciprocal: Psa 146:9 – the way Isa 17:13 – shall be Isa 47:14 – they shall Isa 64:2 – to make
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 83:13-14. O my God, make them like a wheel Whereas they promise themselves a sure possession, let them be like a wheel, or a round ball, which is very unstable, and soon removed, and which, when once tumbled down from the top of a hill, runs with great force and swiftness, and stays not till it comes to the bottom. Bishop Patrick interprets the clause thus: Let them not be able to stand their ground, but put them to flight, and make them run as swiftly as a ball down a hill. As the stubble before the wind Disperse all their forces like the chaff when it is blown about with a furious wind. Some think that in this and the following verse the psalmist alludes to the manner of thrashing in Judea; which was generally performed on a mountain, where the corn was thrashed by means of a wheel which run over the stalks. The chaff, on account of this situation, was easily blown about by the wind; and, it being customary likewise to burn what remained, it is with great propriety that the psalmist concludes the description with these words, As the flame setteth the mountains on fire, Psa 83:14. Where Dr. Waterland, instead of a wood, reads a forest. And it must be observed, that the woods or forests upon the mountains, in those hot countries, when they have once taken fire, either by lightning, or by the design of men, or by any accident, are wont to burn with great swiftness and irresistible violence.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
83:13 O my God, make them like a {l} wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
(l) Because the reprobate could by no means be amended, he prays that they may utterly be destroyed, be unstable and led by all winds.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The writer wanted God to drive Israel’s present enemies away as He had driven the Midianites in Gideon’s day. His reference to the mountains may recall that Barak gathered his army on Mt. Tabor at the east end of the Jezreel Valley. He saw them blowing away as tumbleweeds, unstable and driven by the divine wind of God’s judgment.