Commentaire par chapitre
Psalms Chapitre 83
서론
Sans titre
简体中文
Original anglais
This psalm is the last of those that go under the name of Asaph. It is penned, as most of those, upon a public account, with reference to the insults of the church's enemies, who sought its ruin. Some think it was penned upon occasion of the threatening descent which was made upon the land of Judah in Jehoshaphat's time by the Moabites and Ammonites, those children of Lot here spoken of (Ps 83:8), who were at the head of the alliance and to whom all the other states here mentioned were auxiliaries. We have the story 2Ch 20:1, where it is said, The children of Moab and Ammon, and others besides them, invaded the land. Others think it was penned with reference to all the confederacies of the neighbouring nations against Israel, from first to last. The psalmist here makes an appeal and application, I. To God's knowledge, by a representation of their designs and endeavours to destroy Israel, Ps 83:1-8. II. To God's justice and jealousy, both for his church and for his own honour, by an earnest prayer for the defeat of their attempt, that the church might be preserved, the enemies humbled, and God glorified, Ps 83:9-18. This, in the singing of it, we may apply to the enemies of the gospel-church, all anti-christian powers and factions, representing to God their confederacies against Christ and his kingdom, and rejoicing in the hope that all their projects will be baffled and the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.
1-8
Complaints against Enemies
简体中文
控告仇敌的哀诉
亚萨的诗诗。
¹ 神啊，求你不要静默；神啊，求你不要闭口，不要不作声。
² 因为你的仇敌喧哗，恨你的抬起头来。
³ 他们同谋奸诈，要害你的百姓，彼此商议攻击你所隐藏的人。
⁴ 他们说，来吧，我们将他们剪灭，使他们不再成国；使以色列的名不再被人记念。
⁵ 他们同心商议，彼此结盟，要抵挡你。
⁶ 就是住帐棚的以东人、以实玛利人；摩押人和夏甲人；
⁷ 迦巴勒、亚扪、亚玛力；非利士并推罗的居民；
⁸ 亚述也与他们连合；他们作了罗得子孙的帮手。细拉。
神的以色列此时正处危险、恐惧、极大困苦之中，然而他们的祷告却被称为诗诗或诗歌；因为唱诗并非不合时宜——不，连琴挂在柳树上之时也不合时宜。
一、诗人在此求神为他受屈、受威胁的百姓显现（诗 83:1）：「神啊，求你不要静默！」 倒为我们审判，反对那明显屈枉我们的人。约沙法在那次侵略时就如此祷告（代下 20:11）：看哪，他们怎样报应我们，前来将你产业之地夺去。 有时神似乎姑息他百姓所受的不公待遇；他静默，如同未留意，或与自己无关；他闭口，仿佛要保持严格中立，让他们自行决战；他不动声色，对百姓的仇敌不加以任何扰乱或反对，却似乎坐着如同惊奇的人，如同不能拯救的勇士。那时他便允我们如此呼求他——如这里所说的：「神啊，求你不要静默！」「主啊，借先知向我们说话，为对付我们的恐惧鼓励我们」（如他在那侵略之时所作的，代下 20:14-17 等）；「主啊，借护理为我们说话，向我们的仇敌说话；向我们说拯救，向他们说失望。」神说话便是他行动；因为在他，说与做是同一件事。
二、他在此叙述邻邦列国对以色列所结的庞大联盟——他求神拆毁其中计划。请在此留意，
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这联盟是向谁结的；是向神的以色列，所以实际上也是向以色列的神。诗人如此用心使神与他们的 cause（事）相关，毫不怀疑——只要显明他们是为神，神必显明他为他们，他们便可轻看一切仇敌；因为那时谁能抵挡他们呢？「主啊，」他说，「他们是你的仇敌，他们恨你。」一切恶人都是神的仇敌（肉体的心思是与神为敌的），尤其是恶意的逼迫者；他们恨恶敬虔敬拜神的人，因他们恨恶神的圣洁宗教与对他的敬拜。这正是使神的百姓对他们如此火热的原因——他们攻击的是神：他们彼此结盟，要抵挡你（诗 83:5）。若只是我们的利益受累，我们还可忍受；但当神自己被攻击时，便当呼喊：主啊，帮助。神啊，求你不要静默！ 他证明他们是向神结盟，因为他们向神的百姓结盟——那贴近他心、被他称为儿子、长子、产业、所得之分的百姓；那想要毁灭我的儿女、根绝我的家、败坏我的产业的人，可真是与我争战。「主啊，」诗人说，「他们是你的仇敌，因为他们商议攻击你所隐藏的人。」请注意，神的百姓是他所隐藏的人——隐藏，（1）按隐秘而言。他们的生命与基督一同藏在神里面；世界不认识他们；若认识，就不至如此恨他们。（2）按安全而言。神将他们置于他特别的保护之下，藏在他手心之中；然而他们竟不顾神与他保护百姓的应许与大能，决意谋害他们，将他们从其尊位上推下（诗 62:4），并将那分别为圣归他自己的人（诗 4:3）当作掠物。他们定意毁灭神所定意保守的人。
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这联盟如何进行。魔鬼是它的根底，所以它进行的方式，（1）大发热心暴力：你的仇敌喧哗（诗 83:2）。外邦争闹（诗 2:1）。列邦发怒（启 11:18）。他们用种种大声的毁谤，喧嚷着攻击他们所要压倒的百姓。这正是为何神不当静默的缘由：「仇敌说大话，说许多话；主啊，不要让他们独讲，你倒要在你怒中对他们说话」（诗 2:5）。（2）大发热心骄傲蛮横：他们抬起头来。 他们满有成功的把握，自高自大，仿佛能凌驾至高者、压倒全能者。（3）大发热心巧计：他们同谋奸诈（诗 83:3）。古蛇的狡猾显在他们的手法中，他们用尽一切手段——再卑鄙、再恶劣也在所不惜——以达目的。他们深谋杀戮（何 5:2），仿佛能胜过无穷的智慧。（4）大发热心同心合意。他们彼此之间无论有何种分歧相争的利益，对神的百姓却同心商议（诗 83:5），撒但的国也不自相纷争。为推进这不圣洁的战争，他们同心合意，连角连心。连仇敌也可作老师。 教会的仇敌同心合意要毁灭她吗？地上的君王同心合意将他们的权柄荣耀归给兽吗？教会的朋友岂不更当同心合意事奉她的利益？希律和本丢彼拉多既可成为朋友，为要同钉基督，保罗和巴拿巴、保罗和彼得岂不更当速速成为朋友，为要同传基督？
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这联盟的目的何在。他们不像基遍人那样商议与以色列结盟，借此强己——这本是他们的智慧。他们商议的，不是仅仅要剪除以色列的羽翼、夺回新得的 conquests（征服地）、拦阻其得胜军势的进展，不是仅仅要与以色列保持均势、阻止其权势过分膨胀；这都不足。他们设计的，正是以色列的彻底毁灭与根绝（诗 83:4）：「来吧，我们将他们剪灭，使他们不再成国」，正如他们剪除迦南七族那样；「不留根、不留枝，将其地全然荒废，使以色列的名不再被人记念——连在历史中也不」；因为他们要与百姓一同毁灭其圣经，烧尽其记录。蛇的后裔对女人后裔的仇视正是如此。许多恶人心中暗愿神的教会在世上不存在，愿人类中没有宗教这回事。他们既已从自己心中驱逐了宗教之感，便乐于见全地也照样除净——其一切律法典章被废，其一切拘束义务被弃，其一切传讲者、承认者、实行者被剪除。他们若有权，必使宗教如此；但那坐在天上的必嗤笑他们。
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谁被拉入这联盟。参与这同盟的列邦在此被提名（诗 83:6-8）；以东人和以实玛利人——都是亚伯拉罕的后裔——领先；因为教会的叛徒素来是她最苦毒最怀恨的仇敌，如犹利安。这些人在血统上与以色列有亲，却与以色列结盟作仇敌。再强的天性联系，逼迫之灵也能冲破。弟兄要把弟兄交到死地。 摩押和亚扪是义人罗得的儿女；却是乱伦而生的，又是退化的种族。非利士人素来是以色列肋旁的刺，极令人烦恼。推罗的居民——大卫时代原是以色列的盟友——如何也列在其仇敌之中，我不知道；但亚述（即亚述人）也与他们连合并不足奇，或说（原文如此）他们成了罗得子孙的膀臂。请看神教会的仇敌历来何其众多。主啊，加增扰害的人何其多！ 神的产业如斑点之鸟；四围的飞鸟都攻击她（耶 12:9）——这更显出神在地上的能力，竟能在阴间与地的合力之下为自己保守一教会。
Original anglais
Complaints against Enemies
A song or psalm of Asaph.
¹ Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
² For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
³ They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
⁴ They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
⁵ For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
⁶ The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
⁷ Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
⁸ Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
The Israel of God were now in danger, and fear, and great distress, and yet their prayer is called, A song or psalm; for singing psalms is not unseasonable, no, not when the harps are hung upon the willow-trees.
I. The psalmist here begs of God to appear on the behalf of his injured threatened people (Ps 83:1): "Keep not thou silence, O God! but give judgment for us against those that do us an apparent wrong." Thus Jehoshaphat prayed upon occasion of that invasion (2Ch 20:11), Behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession. Sometimes God seems to connive at the unjust treatment which is given to his people; he keeps silence, as one that either did not observe it or did not concern himself in it; he holds his peace, as if he would observe an exact neutrality, and let them fight it out; he is still, and gives not the enemies of his people any disturbance or opposition, but seems to sit by as a man astonished, or as a mighty man that cannot save. Then he gives us leave to call upon him, as here, "Keep not thou silence, O God! Lord, speak to us by the prophets for our encouragement against our fears" (as he did in reference to that invasion, 2Ch 20:14-17, etc.); "Lord, speak for us by the providence and speak against our enemies; speak deliverance to us and disappointment to them." God's speaking is his acting; for with him saying and doing are the same thing.
II. He here gives an account of the grand alliance of the neighbouring nations against Israel, which he begs of God to break, and blast the projects of. Now observe here,
1. Against whom this confederacy is formed; it is against the Israel of God, and so, in effect, against the God of Israel. Thus the psalmist takes care to interest God in their cause, not doubting but that, if it appeared that they were for God, God would make it to appear that he was for them, and then they might set all their enemies at defiance; for whom then could be against them? "Lord," says he, "they are thy enemies, and they hate thee." All wicked people are God's enemies (the carnal mind is enmity against God), but especially wicked persecutors; they hated the religious worshippers of God, because they hated God's holy religion and the worship of him. This was that which made God's people so zealous against them—that they fought against God: They are confederate against thee, Ps 83:5. Were our interest only concerned, we could the better bear it; but, when God himself is struck at, it is time to cry, Help, Lord. Keep not thou silence, O God! He proves that they are confederate against God, for they are so against the people of God, who are near and dear to him, his son, his first-born, his portion, and the lot of his inheritance; he may truly be said to fight against me that endeavours to destroy my children, to root out my family, and to ruin my estate. "Lord," says the psalmist, "they are thy enemies, for they consult against thy hidden ones." Note, God's people are his hidden ones, hidden, (1.) In respect of secresy. Their life is hid with Christ in God; the world knows them not; if they knew them, they would not hate them as they do. (2.) In respect of safety. God takes them under his special protection, hides them in the hollow of his hand; and yet, in defiance of God and his power and promise to secure his people, they will consult to ruin them and cast them down from their excellency (Ps 62:4), and to make a prey of those whom the Lord has set apart for himself, Ps 4:3. They resolve to destroy those whom God resolves to preserve.
2. How this confederacy is managed. The devil is at the bottom of it, and therefore it is carried on, (1.) With a great deal of heat and violence: Thy enemies make a tumult, Ps 83:2. The heathen rage, Ps 2:1. The nations are angry, Re 11:18. They are noisy in their clamours against the people whom they hope to run down with their loud calumnies. This comes in as a reason why God should not keep silence: "The enemies talk big and talk much; Lord, let them not talk all, but do thou speak to them in thy wrath," Ps 2:5. (2.) With a great deal of pride and insolence: They have lifted up the head. In confidence of their success, they are so elevated as if they could over-top the Most High and overpower the Almighty. (3.) With a great deal of art and policy: They have taken crafty counsel, Ps 83:3. The subtlety of the old serpent appears in their management, and they contrive by all possible means, though ever so base, ever so bad, to gain their point. They are profound to make slaughter (Ho 5:2), as if they could outwit Infinite Wisdom. (4.) With a great deal of unanimity. Whatever separate clashing interest they have among themselves, against the people of God they consult with one consent (Ps 83:5), nor is Satan's kingdom divided against itself. To push on this unholy war, they lay their heads together, and their horns, and their hearts too. Fas est et ab hoste doceri—Even an enemy may instruct. Do the enemies of the church act with one consent to destroy it? Are the kings of the earth of one mind to give their power and honour to the beast? And shall not the church's friends be unanimous in serving her interests? If Herod and Pilate are made friends, that they may join in crucifying Christ, surely Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Peter, will soon be made friends, that they may join in preaching Christ.
3. What it is that is aimed at in this confederacy. They consult not like the Gibeonites to make a league with Israel, that they might strengthen themselves by such a desirable alliance, which would have been their wisdom. They consult, not only to clip the wings of Israel, to recover their new conquests, and check the progress of their victorious arms, not only to keep the balance even between them and Israel, and to prevent their power from growing exorbitant; this will not serve. It is no less than the utter ruin and extirpation of Israel that they design (Ps 83:4): "Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, as they cut off the seven nations of Canaan; let us leave them neither root nor branch, but lay their country so perfectly waste that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance, no, not in history;" for with them they would destroy their Bibles and burn all their records. Such is the enmity of the serpent's seed against the seed of the woman. It is the secret wish of many wicked men that the church of God might not have a being in the world, that there might be no such thing as religion among mankind. Having banished the sense of it out of their own hearts, they would gladly see the whole earth as well rid of it, all its laws and ordinances abolished, all its restraints and obligations shaken off, and all that preach, profess, or practise it cut off. This they would bring it to if it were in their power; but he that sits in heaven shall laugh at them.
4. Who they are that are drawn into this confederacy. The nations that entered into this alliance are here mentioned (Ps 83:6-8); the Edomites and Ishmaelites, both descendants from Abraham, lead the van; for apostates from the church have been its most bitter and spiteful enemies, witness Julian. These were allied to Israel in blood and yet in alliance against Israel. There are no bonds of nature so strong but the spirit of persecution has broken through them. The brother shall betray the brother to death. Moab and Ammon were the children of righteous Lot; but, as an incestuous, so a degenerate race. The Philistines were long a thorn in Israel's side, and very vexatious. How the inhabitants of Tyre, who in David's time were Israel's firm allies, come in among their enemies, I know not; but that Assur (that is, the Assyrian) also is joined with them is not strange, or that (as the word is) they were an arm to the children of Lot. See how numerous the enemies of God's church have always been. Lord, how are those increased that trouble it! God's heritage was as a speckled bird; all the birds round about were against her (Jer 12:9), which highly magnifies the power of God in preserving to himself a church in the world, in spite of the combined force of earth and hell.
9-18
Prophetic Imprecations
简体中文
先知性的咒诅
⁹ 求你待他们如待米甸人；如在基顺河待西西拉和耶宾一样；
¹⁰ 他们在隐多珥灭亡，成了地上的粪土。
¹¹ 求你叫他们的首领像俄立和西伊伯，叫他们的王子像西巴和撒慕拿；
¹² 他们曾说：「我们要得着 神的住处，作为自己的产业。」
¹³ 我的 神啊，求你使他们如旋风卷起的碎秸。
¹⁴ 如火焚烧树林，如火焰烧着群山；
¹⁵ 求你也照样以狂风追赶他们，以暴雨使他们惊惶。
¹⁶ 愿他们的脸满是羞愧，好叫他们寻求你的名——耶和华啊！
¹⁷ 愿他们永远羞愧惊惶；愿他们抱愧蒙羞而灭亡；
¹⁸ 使人知道：惟独名为耶和华的，是全地以上的至高者。
诗人在此代表教会，求 神毁灭那些结盟的军兵，并奉 神的名预言这事必成；因为这「愿其如此」的祷告，便等于「必其如此」的预言，而这预言也延伸到福音教会一切仇敌身上；无论谁反对基督的国度，都可在此读到自己的结局。这祷告简言之，就是：愿这些结盟攻击以色列的仇敌，在一切图谋上尽都失败，反成自己的网罗，好叫 神的以色列得以保全，存到永远。这里以如下方式加以说明：
一、以先例为证。愿从前那些敌挡 神以色列之人的下场，成为他们的刑罚。从前结盟之辈的溃败，可在祷告中向 神陈明，也可用来坚固我们自己的信心与盼望，因为 神至今仍与从前一样——对他的百姓如此，对他和他们仇敌的立场也如此；在他并无改变。1. 他求使他们的军队被毁，如同从前仇敌的军队一样（诗83:9-10）：「求你待他们如待米甸人」；愿他们因自己的恐惧而溃散，因为米甸人正是如此——比基甸的三百人所致的溃败更甚。求你待他们如待西西拉所率领的军队（西西拉是迦南王耶宾的元帅）， 神在基顺河旁使之溃乱（士4:15），而隐多珥就在其附近。「他们成了地上的粪土」；他们的尸首被抛掷，如粪堆成堆，或摊开以肥沃田地；他们被巴拉那支虽小却得胜的军队践踏如泥；这事在此作为先例甚为贴切，因为底波拉在事情初成之际，也如此向后世代立为先例（士5:31）：「耶和华啊，愿你的仇敌都这样灭亡！」意即：他们必如此灭亡。2. 他求使他们的首领被毁，如同从前一样。若非他们的首领煽动，平民必不至如此为害，因此特别要将他们列为祷告的对象（诗83:11-12）。请注意：（1）他们对 神的以色列怀有怎样的恶意。他们说：「我们要得着 神的住处作为产业」（诗83:12），就是 神「可喜悦之处」（原文如此），由此可理解为迦南地——那本是美地，是以马内利之地；或指圣殿——那实在是 神可喜悦之处（赛64:11）；或（如哈蒙德博士所提示）指那些美好的牧场，这些以畜牧为业的阿拉伯人特别垂涎。君王贵胄的目的，是要借这场战争自肥；而他们的军队却要如地上的粪土，只为满足他们的贪欲与野心。（2）他们的下场将如何。他们必「如同俄立和西伊伯」（米甸的两个首领，他们的军队溃败后，在逃亡中被以法莲人擒杀，士7:25），并「如同西巴和撒慕拿」，这二人是基甸亲手所杀（士8:21）。「愿我们的仇敌成为我们轻易到手的掠物，如同他们当年成为征服者的掠物一样。」我们不能向 神指手画脚，却可以向 神祈求：愿他待今日教会的仇敌，如同他待我们父辈日子里的那些仇敌一样。
二、他以比喻加以说明，并祈求：1. 求 神「使他们如旋风卷起的轮」（诗83:13），使他们不住动荡，在一切计谋与决断上不安、不稳、头昏目眩，使他们轻而易举、迅速地滚向自己的灭亡。或如有人所想，使他们被 神的审判碾碎，正如当日打谷所用的轮碾碎谷物一般。因此，「智慧王簸散恶人」时，便说是「使轮子碾过他们」（箴20:26）。倚靠 神的人心是坚定的；与他相争的人则不安如轮。2. 求使他们如「碎秸」或糠秕被猛风追赶追逐。「轮子虽然不住旋转，却固定在自己的轴上；但愿他们连碎秸那样微小的固定也没有——风一吹便将碎秸卷走，无人想救它，倒任它而去」（诗1:4）。如此，「恶人必在自己的罪中被吹散，被赶出世界。」3. 求使他们如木被火烧灭，或如山上的荆棘蒺藜、如蕨类或荆豆被火焰吞灭（诗83:14）。碎秸被风吹走，至终会停在某一篱笆下、某一沟渠中；但他求他们不仅如碎秸被吹散，更要如碎秸被烧尽。这将是恶人的结局（来6:8），尤其是 神教会一切仇敌的结局。这些比喻的应用见于诗83:15：「求你也照样以狂风追赶他们」，追赶他们直到彻底灭亡，「以暴雨使他们惊惶」。请看罪人是如何变得凄惨； 神忿怒的暴风在他们自己心中挑起恐惧，他们便因此彻底凄惨。 神能对付那最骄傲、最胆大妄为、公然向他公义挑衅的罪人，能叫他如蝗虫般惊惶。魔鬼所受的折磨，正是在于战抖。
三、他以他们的混乱所带来的善果加以说明（诗83:16-18）。他在此求 神既已使他们的心充满恐惧，便借此使他们的脸满是羞愧，叫他们为自己的敌挡 神百姓而羞愧（赛26:11），为自己既敌挡全能者本身、又敌挡自己真正利益的愚妄而羞愧。他们尽力使 神的百姓蒙羞，但这羞愧至终必归到他们自己头上。如今：1. 这羞愧的起头，可能成为他们归信的途径：「愿他们在所谋的事上被挫败、被瓦解，好叫他们寻求你的名——耶和华啊！」愿他们被迫停步，使他们有闲暇也有理由稍作停顿，思想自己所敌挡的是谁，又与他是何等不相匹敌，从而自卑、降服，并寻求和平的条款。「愿他们被引导敬畏你的名，或许这就可领他们寻求你的名。」请注意，我们当为何事为我们的仇敌和逼迫者恳切向 神祈求——那就是愿 神领他们悔改；我们当愿他们被降卑，正是为此；除了可作为他们归信之一步的羞辱之外，别无所求。2. 这若不成为他们归信的途径，这羞愧的完全成就，便要大大归荣耀与 神。他们若不肯羞愧悔改，就愿他们蒙羞灭亡；他们若不肯受扰而回转——这原可速速叫他们一切的烦恼止息，止于美善——「就愿他们永远惊惶」，永无平安：这要为 神的荣耀（诗83:18），使别人即使他们自己不肯，也得以认识并承认：「惟独名为耶和华的（那不可传授却不至不可言说的名），是全地以上的至高者。」 神对他自己和他教会仇敌的得胜，将是无可辩驳的证据，证明：（1）他正如其名耶和华所表明的，是自存、自足的那一位，一切权能与丰盛都本于他自己。（2）他是至高的 神，是万有的主，在一切神明之上，在一切君王之上，在一切自高、自称崇高者之上。（3）他不仅统管以色列地，更统管「全地」，甚至那些不认识他、不承认他的地上列国；因为他的国度掌管万有。这些是伟大而不容置疑的真理，但人却难以被说服去认识、相信；因此诗人求：愿一些人的毁灭，成为另一些人的鉴戒。在末日， 神一切仇敌最终的灭亡，将在天使和人面前，成为这真理有效的明证——那时罪人所要复醒承受的「永远羞辱与恶名」（但12:2），都必归给那位本有报应之权的 神，成为他永远的尊荣与赞美。
Original anglais
Prophetic Imprecations
⁹ Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
¹⁰ Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
¹² Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
¹³ O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
¹⁴ As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
¹⁵ So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
¹⁶ Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
¹⁷ Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
¹⁸ That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
The psalmist here, in the name of the church, prays for the destruction of those confederate forces, and, in God's name, foretels it; for this prayer that it might be so amounts to a prophecy that it shall be so, and this prophecy reaches to all the enemies of the gospel-church; whoever they be that oppose the kingdom of Christ, here they may read their doom. The prayer is, in short, that these enemies, who were confederate against Israel, might be defeated in all their attempts, and that they might prove their own ruin, and so God's Israel might be preserved and perpetuated. Now this is here illustrated,
I. By some precedents. Let that be their punishment which has been the fate of others who have formerly set themselves against God's Israel. The defeat and discomfiture of former combinations may be pleaded in prayer to God and improved for the encouragement of our own faith and hope, because God is the same still that ever he was, the same to his people and the same against his and their enemies; with him is no variableness. 1. He prays that their armies might be destroyed as the armies of former enemies had been (Ps 83:9,10): Do to them as to the Midianites; let them be routed by their own fears, for so the Midianites were, more than by Gideon's 300 men. Do to them as to the army under the command of Sisera (who was general under Jabin king of Canaan) which God discomfited (Jdg 4:15) at the brook Kishon, near to which was Endor. They became as dung on the earth; their dead bodies were thrown like dung laid in heaps, or spread, to fatten the ground; they were trodden to dirt by Barak's small but victorious army; and this was fitly made a precedent here, because Deborah made it so to aftertimes when it was fresh. Jdg 5:31, So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord! that is, So they shall perish. 2. He prays that their leaders might be destroyed as they had been formerly. The common people would not have been so mischievous if their princes had not set them on, and therefore they are particularly prayed against, Ps 83:11,12. Observe, (1.) What their malice was against the Israel of God. They said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession (Ps 83:12), the pleasant places of God (so the word is), by which we may understand the land of Canaan, which was a pleasant land and was Immanuel's land, or the temple, which was indeed God's pleasant place (Isa 64:11), or (as Dr. Hammond suggests) the pleasant pastures, which these Arabians, who traded in cattle, did in a particular manner seek after. The princes and nobles aimed to enrich themselves by this war; and their armies must be made as dung for the earth, to serve their covetousness and their ambition. (2.) What their lot should be. They shall be made like Oreb and Zeeb (two princes of the Midianites, who, when their forces were routed, were taken in their flight by the Ephraimites and slain, Jdg 7:25), and like Zeba and Zalmunna, whom Gideon himself slew, Jdg 8:21. "Let these enemies of ours be made as easy a prey to us as they were to the conquerors then." We may not prescribe to God, but we may pray to God that he will deal with the enemies of his church in our days as he did with those in the days of our fathers.
II. He illustrates it by some similitudes, and prays, 1. That God would make them like a wheel (Ps 83:13), that they might be in continual motion, unquiet, unsettled, and giddy in all their counsels and resolves, that they might roll down easily and speedily to their own ruin. Or, as some think, that they might be broken by the judgments of God, as the corn is broken, or beaten out, by the wheel which was then used in threshing. Thus, when a wise king scatters the wicked, he is said to bring the wheel over them, Pr 20:26. Those that trust in God have their hearts fixed; those that fight against him are unfixed, like a wheel. 2. That they might be chased as stubble, or chaff, before the fierce wind. "The wheel, though it continually turn round, is fixed on its own axis; but let them have no more fixation than the light stubble has, which the wind hurries away, and nobody desires to save it, but is willing it should go," Ps 1:4. Thus shall the wicked be driven away in his wickedness, and chased out of the world. 3. That they might be consumed, as wood by the fire, or as briers and thorns, as fern or furze, upon the mountains, by the flames, Ps 83:14. When the stubble is driven by the wind it will rest, at last, under some hedge, in some ditch or other; but he prays that they might not only be driven away as stubble, but burnt up as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men (Heb 6:8) and particularly of all the enemies of God's church. The application of these comparisons we have (Ps 83:15): So persecute them with thy tempest, persecute them to their utter ruin, and make them afraid with thy storm. See how sinners are made miserable; the storm of God's wrath raises terrors in their own hearts, and so they are made completely miserable. God can deal with the proudest and most daring sinner that has bidden defiance to his justice, and can make him afraid as a grasshopper. It is the torment of devils that they tremble.
III. He illustrates it by the good consequences of their confusion, Ps 83:16-18. He prays here that God, having filled their hearts with terror, would thereby fill their faces with shame, that they might be ashamed of their enmity to the people of God (Isa 26:11), ashamed of their folly in acting both against Omnipotence itself and their own true interest. They did what they could to put God's people to shame, but the shame will at length return upon themselves. Now, 1. The beginning of this shame might be a means of their conversion: "Let them be broken and baffled in their attempts, that they may seek thy name, O Lord! Let them be put to a stand, that they may have both leisure and reason to pause a little, and consider who it is that they are fighting against and what an unequal match they are for him, and may therefore humble and submit themselves and desire conditions of peace. Let them be made to fear thy name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek thy name." Note, That which we should earnestly desire and beg of God for our enemies and persecutors is that God would bring them to repentance, and we should desire their abasement in order to this, no other confusion to them than what may be a step towards their conversion. 2. If it did not prove a means of their conversion, the perfecting of it would redound greatly to the honour of God. If they will not be ashamed and repent, let them be put to shame and perish; if they will not be troubled and turned, which would soon put an end to all their trouble, a happy end, let them be troubled for ever, and never have peace: this will be for God's glory (Ps 83:18), that other men may know and own, if they themselves will not, that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH (that incommunicable, though not ineffable name) art the Most High over all the earth. God's triumphs over his and his church's enemies will be incontestable proofs, (1.) That he is, according to his name JEHOVAH, a self-existent self-sufficient Being, that has all power and perfection in himself. (2.) That he is the most high God, sovereign Lord of all, above all gods, above all kings, above all that exalt themselves and pretend to be high. (3.) That he is so, not only over the land of Israel, but over all the earth, even those nations of the earth that do not know him or own him; for his kingdom rules over all. These are great and unquestionable truths, but men will hardly be persuaded to know and believe them; therefore the psalmist prays that the destruction of some might be the conviction of others. The final ruin of all God's enemies, in the great day, will be the effectual proof of this, before angels and men, when the everlasting shame and contempt to which sinners shall rise (Da 12:2) shall redound to the everlasting honour and praise of that God to whom vengeance belongs.
本篇是称为亚萨诗的最后一篇。它如大多数那类诗一样,是为公众的缘故而作,关乎教会仇敌的凌辱——他们企图毁灭她。有人以为它是因约沙法年间摩押与亚扪人——此处所论罗得的子孙(诗83:8),他们居联盟之首,此处所提的其余各国皆为附从——威吓性地侵犯犹大地而作;其史实载于代下20:1,那里说「摩押和亚扪人,又有他们之外的别人,一同来攻击那地」。另有人以为它是关乎四围列国自始至终一切抵挡以色列的联盟而作。诗人在此作出呼吁与恳求:一、向神的鉴察——他陈明他们的计谋与努力,要毁灭以色列(诗83:1-8);二、向神的公义与忌邪——既为他的教会、也为他自己的尊荣——他恳切求神挫败他们的图谋,使教会得保守、仇敌被降卑、神得荣耀(诗83:9-18)。我们唱这首诗时,可将其应用于福音教会的仇敌、一切敌基督的权势与党派,向神陈明他们抵挡基督与其国度的联盟,并因他们一切计谋必被挫败、阴间的权柄必不能胜过教会而欢喜盼望。