Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 83:2
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
2. make a tumult ] A word denoting the uproar and tumult of a throng of people: the substantive for multitude, frequently used of a great army, is derived from it: cp. Psa 46:3; Psa 46:6; Isa 17:12; Isa 29:5; Isa 29:7-8; 2Ch 20:2; 2Ch 20:12; 2Ch 20:15 ; 2Ch 20:24.
thine enemies they that hate thee ] For Israel’s enemies are Jehovah’s enemies: their plot to destroy His people is a plot to frustrate the purposes and put an end to the worship of Jehovah. Cp. against thee, Psa 83:5; and Jdg 5:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult – Are excited; are aroused; are moving in a wild, furious, tumultuous manner, rushing on to the accomplishment of their designs. They come like rolling waves of the sea. See the word used here explained in the notes at Psa 2:1, where it is rendered, in the text, rage; in the margin, tumultuously assemble.
And they that hate thee – Thine enemies; the enemies of thy cause, and of thy people. Who they were is specified in Psa 83:6-8.
Have lifted up the head – Have become proud; bold; confident of success, all of which is indicated by the phrase lifted up the head. The head is bowed down in penitence and trouble; pride lifts it up; boldness, confidence, and wickedness, are indicated by its being thus lifted up.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Thine enemies make a tumult] They are not merely the enemies of thy people, but they are the enemies of thyself, thy worship, ordinances, and laws: “They make a tumult,” they throng together.
They – have lifted up the head.] They have made an irruption into the land of Judea, and encamped at En-gedi, by the Dead Sea, 2Ch 20:1-2.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thine enemies; they are not only enemies to us thy people, but also to thy will, and name, and glory.
Make a tumult; or, make a tumultuous noise, both with their tongues reproaching thee and threatening us, and with their arms.
Have lift up the head; are grown potent, and insolent, and scornful.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. thine enemiesas well asours (Psa 74:23; Isa 37:23).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult,…. Or “a noise” d: wicked men are commonly noisy, roaring out their blasphemies against God, belching out oaths and curses, and breathing threatenings and slaughter against the saints; especially a numerous army of them, consisting of many people and nations, as this did; who are called the Lord’s “enemies”, being the enemies of his people, and their cause and his are one and the same; and besides, all wicked men are enemies to God, and all that is good, in their minds, and which appears by their actions; yea, they are enmity itself unto him:
and they that hate thee have lift up the head; are haughty, proud, and arrogant; speak loftily, and with a stiff neck; set their mouth against heaven, and God in it; and their tongue walks through the earth, and spares none; they exult and rejoice, as sure of victory, before the battle is fought; such then were, and such there are, who are haters of God, hate his being, perfections, purposes, and providences; hate his Son without a cause, and even do despite unto the Spirit of grace; hate the law and its precepts, the Gospel and its doctrines and ordinances, and the ways, worship, and people of God, as appears by what follows.
d “sonuerunt”, V. L. “perstrepunt”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius “strepunt”, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2 For, behold! thy enemies are tumultuous. As an argument for enforcing the prayer of the preceding verse, it is affirmed that the faithful are oppressed both by the impetuous violence and the crafty policy of their enemies, which, to all human appearance, rendered their escape from death utterly hopeless. When it is said that they are tumultuous and lift up the head, the meaning is, that relying upon their own power, they behave themselves insolently and proudly. By this conduct on the part of their enemies, the minds of the people of God are greatly depressed, and the only way in which they can obtain relief, is by making their moan to Him whose continual work it is to repress the proud. When, therefore, the saints implore his aid, it is their ordinary course to lay before him the perverseness of their enemies. It is worthy of notice, that those who molest the Church are called the enemies of God.
It affords us no small ground of confidence that those who are our enemies are also God’s enemies. This is one of the fruits of his free and gracious covenant, in which he has promised to be an enemy to all our enemies, — a promise for which there is good cause, when it is considered that the welfare of his people, whom he has taken under his protection, cannot be assailed without an injury being, at the same the done to his own majesty. Meanwhile, let us live at peace with all men, as much as in us lies, and let us endeavor to practice uprightness in our whole deportment, that we may be able confidently to appeal to God, that when we suffer at the hands of men, we suffer wrongfully. The pride and violent assaults of our enemies may be combined with craftiness. But when such is the case, it becomes us to yield to God the honor which belongs to him, by resting satisfied that He can succor us; for to break the proud who foam out their rage, and to take the crafty in their own craftiness, is work which He has been accustomed to perform in all ages. To keep us from thinking that we are abandoned to the snares and traps of our enemies, the prophet here seasonably sets before us a consideration calculated to administer the highest consolation and hope, when he calls us God’s hidden ones This expression is understood by some as meaning that the aid and protection which God extends to us, is not apparent to the eye of sense and reason; just as it is said elsewhere of the life of the people of God, that it is hid, (Col 3:3.) But this interpretation is too forced, and altogether inconsistent both with the scope of the passage and the natural construction of the words. The design of them is simply to teach that we are hidden under the shadow of God’s wings; for although to outward appearance we lie open, and are exposed to the will of the wicked and the proud, we are preserved by the hidden power of God. (432) Accordingly, it is said in another Psalm, (27:5,)
“
In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me.” (Psa 27:5)
It is, however, at the same time to be observed, that none are hid under the keeping and protection of God but those who, renouncing all dependence on their own strength, betake themselves with fear and trembling to Him. Such as under the influence of a flattering belief in the sufficiency of their own strength to resist, boldly enter the conflict, and, as if devoid of all fear, wax wanton, will ultimately suffer the consequences which result from inadequate resources. (433) We will then best consult our own safety by taking shelter under the shadow of the Almighty, and, conscious of our own weakness, committing our salvation to him, casting it, so to speak, into his bosom.
(432) The Hebrew word translated thy hidden ones, primarily means a treasure, and is so taken in Psa 17:14. Accordingly, it is here rendered by Mudge, and French and Skinner, “thy treasured ones:” that is, thy peculiar people: those whom thou hast hitherto protected and kept in perfect safety, as in a place of security and secrecy. The Septuagint reads, κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων σου, “against thy saints.” The word is also sometimes put for the sanctuary, as in Eze 7:22. Some therefore think that the temple, and the treasures contained in it, are intended.
(433) “ Ils sentiront a la fin a leur grande honte, qu’ils estoyent desnuer de toute vertu.” — Fr. “Will at length find, to their great shame, that they were destitute of all power.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Make a tumult.Literally, roar like the sea. So (correctly) LXX. and Vulg. (See Psa. 46:3.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Tumult Uproar, a disorderly noise. In contrast to the silence of God, deprecated in Psa 83:1.
Lifted up the head An expression of haughtiness and confidence of victory, in opposition to the “hanging down the head” of captives. Lam 2:10; Jdg 8:28
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Do, Reader, remark the expression; the Lord’s hidden ones. As Christ himself is said to be hid in the Father’s shadow, in his hand, and in his quiver, Isa 49:2 ; so Christ’s little ones are said to be hidden when the wicked rise; Pro 28:12 . Hence the prophet describes Christ as a hiding place to his people; and the Psalmist sweetly considers Christ in this light; Isa 32:2 ; Psa 32:7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
Ver. 2. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult ] Concurrunt magno impetu, conatu, et ardore, Thine, because ours; for there is a league offensive and defensive between God and his people; the Church must, therefore, needs be invincible, because God is so.
Have lifted up the head
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
make a tumult = roar like the waves of the sea, as in Psa 46:3.
lifted up the head. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), for acting presumptuously. Compare Psa 3:3; Psa 27:6. Jdg 8:28.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 83:2-5
Psa 83:2-5
SUMMARY OF THE DANGER THREATENING ISRAEL
“For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult;
And they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
They take crafty counsel against thy people,
And consult together against thy hidden ones.
They have said, Come, let us cut them off from being a nation;
That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
For they have consulted together with one consent;
Against thee do they make a covenant.”
“They that hate thee (God) have lifted up the head” (Psa 83:2). The hatred of the whole evil world against God’s people is due primarily to the world’s rejection of the value-judgments and strict morality of God’s holy religion. The Book of Numbers reveals that it was the Decalogue and particularly its command against adultery that outraged Moab and led to the campaign of Moab and the prophet Balaam against Israel (Numbers 25-26).
“They take crafty counsel against thy people” (Psa 83:3). An example of such crafty counsel is mentioned in Num 31:16, which refers to the crafty counsel of Balaam to the Moabites which led to the disaster at Baal-Peor (Numbers 24-26).
“Come let us cut them off from being a nation” (Psa 83:4). The picture of counsels being held and of purposes being outlined in these verses raises a question of, “Who led such maneuvers?” The answer, of course, is Satan. Not only in the final days, when Satan shall rally Gog and Magog to make war against God’s people, but in ancient Israel (as in this chapter), and, for that matter, throughout human history, the inveterate, implacable enemy of all righteousness is Satan. The evil one (the devil) is very angry, “For he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev 12:12).
History indicates clearly that many efforts have been made by satanically led nations to destroy God’s true religion. The Roman emperors attempted it; and the prophecies reveal that other attempts will be made in the future.
Barnes pointed out that an attempt is now in progress to destroy God’s church through, prosperity, radical criticism and denial of the Bible, materialism, humanism, (and recently by Communism). These are the phases of Satan’s war against the Truth at the present time. “Whether the Church can be destroyed by such opposition is now before the mind of Satan.
Why does not Satan attempt to destroy the church by murderous persecutions, as in the past? The answer is simple enough; he learned by experience that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 83:2. Thine enemies indicates that David regarded the opposition from the foes as being in reality against God, although the contact was made directly against David usually. God and David and the people over whom he was king were united in purpose. Because of this relationship, any action directed against either of the parties to the unit was considered to be against the others.
Psa 83:3. Crafty counsel means they had consulted together for the purpose of devising some underhanded plot against the Lord’s work. Hidden ones means God’s protected ones; those in His divine and special care.
Psa 83:4. The enmity that usually manifested itself in those days was from the heathen nations around the land of Israel. They were envious of the success of the people of God and wished, chiefly, to overthrow their national forces.
Psa 83:5. Individual planning against a righteous cause is always wrong. That kind of evil is much worse when done by a group of persons confederated for the purpose. These confederates had come together in secret meetings and were united in their plots.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
lo: Psa 2:1, Psa 2:2, Psa 74:4, Psa 74:23, 2Ki 19:28, Isa 37:29, Jer 1:19, Mat 27:24, Act 4:25-27, Act 16:22, Act 17:5, Act 19:28-41, Act 21:30, Act 22:22, Act 23:10
that hate: Psa 81:15
lifted: Psa 75:4, Psa 75:5, Psa 93:3, Isa 37:23, Dan 5:20-23
Reciprocal: Jos 9:2 – gathered Jdg 9:1 – communed Psa 46:6 – heathen Psa 48:4 – General Isa 42:14 – long time Eze 26:2 – Aha Hab 3:14 – they Zec 1:15 – and Act 4:26 – kings
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
83:2 For, lo, thine {b} enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
(b) He calls them God’s enemies, who are enemies of his Church.