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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 83

Psalm 83 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Creation
Old Testament

Psalm 83

1A song. A Psalm by Asaph. God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God.

2For, behold, your enemies are stirred up. Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.

3They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones.

4“Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5For they have conspired together with one mind. They form an alliance against you.

6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites;

7Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8Assyria also is joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah.

9Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon;

10who perished at Endor, who became as dung for the earth.

11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

12who said, “Let’s take possession of God’s pasture lands.”

13My God, make them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind.

14As the fire that burns the forest, as the flame that sets the mountains on fire,

15so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with your storm.

16Fill their faces with confusion, that they may seek your name, LORD.

17Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish;

18that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 83

Psalm 83 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book III (Psalms 73–89). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Creation. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 83

Psalm 83 contains 18 verses and about 250 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A song. A Psalm by Asaph. God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 18 closes: “that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include like, don’t, name, keep, silent, let’s. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 83

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 83:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes creation, with related themes of Creation. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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