Psalms 83:5-9

83:5 Yes, ¹  they devise a unified strategy; ² 

they form an alliance ³  against you.

83:6 It includes ⁴  the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

Moab and the Hagrites, ⁵ 

83:7 Gebal, ⁶  Ammon, and Amalek,

Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. ⁷ 

83:8 Even Assyria has allied with them,

lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. ⁸  (Selah)

83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian ⁹  –

as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! ¹⁰ 

[83:5]  ¹ tn Or “for.”

[83:5]  ² tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”

[83:5]  ³ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[83:6]  ⁴ tn The words “it includes” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[83:6]  ⁵ sn The Hagrites are also mentioned in 1 Chr 5:10, 19-20.

[83:7]  ⁶ sn Some identify Gebal with the Phoenician coastal city of Byblos (see Ezek 27:9, where the name is spelled differently), though others locate this site south of the Dead Sea (see BDB 148 s.v. גְּבַל; HALOT 174 s.v. גְּבַל).

[83:7]  ⁷ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[83:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “they are an arm for the sons of Lot.” The “arm” is here a symbol of military might.

[83:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”

[83:9]  ¹⁰ sn The psalmist alludes here to Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (see Judg 7-8) and to Barak’s victory over Jabin’s army, which was led by his general Sisera (Judg 4-5).