1A song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, be not silent; be not speechless; be not still, O God. 2See how Your enemies rage, how Your foes have reared their heads. 3With cunning they scheme against Your people and conspire against those You cherish, 4saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.” 5For with one mind they plot together, they form an alliance against You— 6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, 7of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, of Philistia with the people of Tyre. 8Even Assyria has joined them, lending strength to the sons of Lot. Selah 9Do to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon, 10who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground. 11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12who said, “Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God.” 13Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. 14As fire consumes a forest, as a flame sets the mountains ablaze, 15so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm. 16Cover their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD. 17May they be ever ashamed and terrified; may they perish in disgrace. 18May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The designs of the enemies of Israel. (1-8) Earnest prayer for their defeat. (9-18) 1-8 Sometimes God seems not to be concerned at the unjust treatment of his people. But then we may call upon him, as the psalmist here. All wicked people are God's enemies, especially wicked persecutors. The Lord's people are his hidden one; the world knows them not. He takes them under his special protection. Do the enemies of the church act with one consent to destroy it, and shall not the friends of the church be united? Wicked men wish that there might be no religion among mankind. They would gladly see all its restraints shaken off, and all that preach, profess, or practise it, cut off. This they would bring to pass if it were in their power. The enemies of God's church have always been many: this magnifies the power of the Lord in preserving to himself a church in the world. 9-18 All who oppose the kingdom of Christ may here read their doom. God is the same still that ever he was; the same to his people, and the same against his and their enemies. God would make their enemies like a wheel; unsettled in all their counsels and resolves. Not only let them be driven away as stubble, but burnt as stubble. And this will be the end of wicked men. Let them be made to fear thy name, and perhaps that will bring them to seek thy name. We should desire no confusion to our enemies and persecutors but what may forward their conversion. The stormy tempest of Divine vengeance will overtake them, unless they repent and seek the pardoning mercy of their offended Lord. God's triumphs over his enemies, clearly prove that he is, according to his name JEHOVAH, an almighty Being, who has all power and perfection in himself. May we fear his wrath, and yield ourselves to be his willing servants. And let us seek deliverance by the destruction of our fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.