TRV
Translation
King James Version
Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
Complete Jewish Bible
Make their leaders like 'Orev and Ze'ev, all their princes like Zevach and Tzalmuna,
Berean Standard Bible
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
American Standard Version
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; Yea, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna;
World English Bible Messianic
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna;
Geneva Bible (1599)
Make them, euen their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes like Zebah and like Zalmuna.
Young's Literal Translation
Make their nobles as Oreb and as Zeeb, And as Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes,
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In the KJVVerse 15,253 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 83 verses 9–18
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 (Psa 83:9, Psa 83:10): 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, Psa 83:11, Psa 83:12. Observe, (1.) What their malice was against the Israel of God. They said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession (Psa 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 (Psa 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, Pro 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," Psa 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, Psa 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 (Psa 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, Psa 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 (Psa 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 (Dan 12:2) shall redound to the everlasting honour and praise of that God to whom vengeance belongs.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–18. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 83
Now let us see what the prophetic spirit prays may fall upon them, rather foretelling than cursing. "Do thou to them," he says, "as unto Madian and Sisera, as unto Jabin at the brook of Kishon" [Psalm 83:9]. "They perished at Endor, they became as the dung of the earth" [Psalm 83:10]. All these, the history relates, were subdued and conquered by Israel, which then was the people of God: as was the case also with those whom he next mentions: "Make their princes like Oreb and Zeb, and Zebee and Salmana" [Psalm 83:11]. The meaning of these names is as follows: Madian is explained a perverted judgment: Sisera, shutting out of joy: Jabin, wise. [Judges 4:7-8] But in these enemies conquered by God's people is to be understood that wise man of whom the Apostle speaks, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?" [1 Corinthians 1:20] Oreb is dryness, Zeb, wolf, Zebee, a victim, namely of the wolf; for he too has his victims; Salmana, shadow of commotion. All these agree to the evils which the people of God conquer by good. Moreover Kishon, the torrent in which they were conquered, is explained, their hardness. Endor, where they perished, is explained, the Fountain of generation, but of the carnal generation namely, to which they were given up, and therefore perished, not heeding the regeneration which leads unto life, where they shall neither marry nor be given in marriage, [Luke 20:35] for they shall die no more. Rightly then it is said of these: "they became as the dung of the earth," in that nothing was produced of them but fruitfulness of the earth. As then all these were in figure conquered by the people of God, as figures, so he prays that those other enemies may be conquered in truth.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 83:11 is a fervent plea within an imprecatory psalm where the psalmist, Asaph, implores God to decisively defeat the enemies of Israel. The verse specifically invokes historical precedents of God's powerful intervention against past oppressors, requesting a similar, overwhelming victory that mirrors the complete humiliation and destruction of the Midianite leaders Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna by Gideon, as recorded in the Book of Judges. This prayer seeks a comprehensive and public overthrow of the adversaries' leadership, ensuring the security of God's people and the vindication of His divine name.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 83:11 makes powerful use of several literary techniques to convey its message. The most prominent is allusion, as the verse directly references specific historical figures (Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna) and their fates from the narrative in the Book of Judges. This technique allows the psalmist to evoke the full dramatic narrative of God's past deliverance and judgment without explicitly retelling it, drawing on shared cultural and historical memory to underscore the severity and completeness of the desired outcome. Furthermore, the verse employs synonymous parallelism in its structure: "Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb" is mirrored and intensified by "yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna." This repetition with slight variation emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the desired defeat, targeting both the princes and the kings, ensuring no leader escapes judgment. Finally, the names "Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna" function as a form of metonymy or synecdoche, where the individual fates of these leaders stand in for the entire Midianite defeat and, by extension, for any comprehensive divine judgment upon Israel's enemies. Their personal humiliation represents the complete overthrow of their respective nations and the power they wielded.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 83:11 powerfully articulates the Old Testament understanding of divine justice and God's active involvement in human history. It underscores the conviction that God is not a passive observer but the sovereign Lord who intervenes on behalf of His people and brings judgment upon those who oppose His purposes. The appeal to past acts of deliverance, particularly the Midianite defeat, highlights a recurring biblical theme: God's faithfulness to His covenant and His willingness to humble the proud and exalt the lowly. This verse, though an imprecatory prayer, ultimately aims at the vindication of God's name and the recognition of His unique sovereignty among all nations, demonstrating that true power resides with the Almighty.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While Christians are called to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, as instructed in Matthew 5:44, Psalms 83:11 still offers profound spiritual lessons for believers today. It reminds us that God is ultimately just and will bring all injustice to account, whether in this life or the next. It encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty when faced with overwhelming opposition, drawing strength from His past faithfulness and His proven track record of delivering His people. Our prayers, like Asaph's, should ultimately seek the glory of God's name and the advancement of His kingdom, recognizing that true victory belongs to Him alone. This verse challenges us to align our hearts with God's righteous indignation against evil and oppression, while also embracing the New Testament call to extend grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, understanding that God's ultimate judgment is reserved for Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalmist ask God to destroy enemies in such a violent way?
Answer: Psalms 83 is an imprecatory psalm, a genre common in the Old Testament where the psalmist appeals to God to execute judgment on the wicked. These prayers often reflect a deep sense of injustice and a fervent desire for God's righteousness to prevail against those who threaten His people and His covenant. They are not expressions of personal vengeance but appeals to God as the righteous judge to vindicate His name and protect His covenant people. The language is intense because the threat was existential, and the psalmist believed in a God who actively intervenes in history to bring justice. The ultimate aim, as seen in Psalm 83:18, is for God's name to be known and glorified among all nations.
Who were Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna?
Answer: Oreb and Zeeb were Midianite princes, while Zebah and Zalmunna were the two kings of Midian. They were prominent leaders of the Midianite forces who severely oppressed Israel for seven years during the period of the Judges. Their defeat by Gideon, as recorded in Judges 7:25 and Judges 8:21, marked a decisive and humiliating victory for Israel, bringing an end to the Midianite threat. The psalmist invokes their names as a historical paradigm for the complete and utter defeat of Israel's current enemies, seeking a similar, comprehensive overthrow of their leadership.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Psalms 83:11 calls for the physical destruction of earthly enemies, its ultimate fulfillment in Christ points to a profound spiritual victory over the powers of darkness. Jesus, the true King of Israel, did not come to defeat earthly armies with sword and might, but to conquer sin, death, and the devil through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. The humiliation of Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna—leaders of an oppressive earthly kingdom—foreshadows the ultimate defeat of Satan and his spiritual forces, who are stripped of their power and authority through Christ's triumph on the cross, as described in Colossians 2:15. Just as God brought low the proud oppressors of Israel, so too has Christ disarmed the principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them, a truth illuminated in Ephesians 6:12. Believers are now called to participate in this spiritual victory, not through physical warfare, but by standing firm in the truth and proclaiming the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, as declared in Romans 1:16. The prayer for God's name to be known and glorified, which is central to Psalms 83, finds its ultimate answer in the universal reign of Christ, before whom every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, as beautifully articulated in Philippians 2:10-11.