AncientWord

Footnotes

YHWH/YAHWEH/Jehovah also the LORD

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Psalms 83:1 Transliteration

ʾĕlōhîm ʾal-dŏmî-lāḵ ʾal-teḥĕraš wĕʾal-tišqōṭ ʾēl (אֱלֹהִים אַל־דֳּמִי־לָךְ אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ וְאַל־תִּשְׁקֹט אֵל׃)

• אֱלֹהִים (ʾĕlōhîm) – God / mighty one(s)

• אַל (ʾal) – do not / let not

• דֳּמִי (dŏmî) – silence / stillness

• לָךְ (lāḵ) – to you / for you

• אַל (ʾal) – do not / let not

• תֶּחֱרַשׁ (teḥĕraš) – you be silent / you keep quiet

• וְ (wĕ) – and

• אַל (ʾal) – do not / let not

• תִּשְׁקֹט (tišqōṭ) – you be still / you be inactive

• אֵל (ʾēl) – God / mighty one

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Psalms 83:1 Translator Notes

• The opening “God” (אֱלֹהִים) and the closing “O God” (אֵל) use two different divine terms—Elohim (majestic plural, usually referring to the God of Israel) and El (singular, often emphasizing strength and might). The psalmist may be invoking both the covenant identity and the raw power of God.

• דֳּמִי (domi) is an unusual form meaning “silence” or “stillness.” The phrase אַל דֳּמִי לָךְ literally means “do not silence for yourself,” which could imply “do not remain silent when it concerns you” — a plea for God to act because His reputation or cause is at stake.

• The three negatives (אַל … אַל … וְאַל) create a forceful triple plea: don’t be silent, don’t be quiet, don’t be still — an urgent cry for immediate divine intervention.

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Psalms 83:2 Transliteration

kî-hinnēh ʾōyĕḇeḵā yehĕmāyûn ûmĕśanʾeḵā nāśʾû rōʾš (כִּי־הִנֵּה אוֹיְבֶיךָ יֶהֱמָיוּן וּמְשַׂנְאֶיךָ נָשְׂאוּ רֹאשׁ׃)

• כִּי (kî) – for / because / indeed

• הִנֵּה (hinnēh) – behold / look

• אוֹיְבֶיךָ (ʾōyĕḇeḵā) – your enemies

• יֶהֱמָיוּן (yehĕmāyûn) – they roar / they make a loud noise / they cause commotion

• וּ (û) – and

• מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ (mĕśanʾeḵā) – your haters / those who hate you

• נָשְׂאוּ (nāśʾû) – they lift / they raise

• רֹאשׁ (rōʾš) – head / leadership / pride

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Psalms 83:2 Translator Notes

• יֶהֱמָיוּן (yehemayun) carries the imagery of a growling or roaring crowd — hostile noise, like the rumble before battle. It’s stronger than just “plot” or “speak.”

• נָשְׂאוּ רֹאשׁ (“lifted the head”) can mean either (a) taking leadership in rebellion, or (b) acting proudly and defiantly. The imagery evokes a challenger raising his head high in arrogance against a superior.

• The verse connects enemies of God with those who hate Him — this psalm will later show that such hatred extends to His people as well, implying an attack on them is ultimately an attack on Him.

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Psalms 83:3 Transliteration

עַל־עַמְּךָ יַעֲרִימוּ סוֹד וְיִתְיָעֲצוּ עַל־צְפוּנֶיךָ׃ (ʿal-ʿammĕḵā yaʿărîmû sōḏ wĕyit·yaʿăṣû ʿal-ṣĕpûnêḵā)

• עַל (ʿal) – against / upon

• עַמְּךָ (ʿammĕḵā) – your people

• יַעֲרִימוּ (yaʿărîmû) – they craftily plot / they act cunningly

• סוֹד (sōḏ) – council / secret plan / confidential meeting

• וְ (wĕ) – and

• יִתְיָעֲצוּ (yit·yaʿăṣû) – they conspire / they take counsel together

• עַל (ʿal) – against / upon

• צְפוּנֶיךָ (ṣĕpûnêḵā) – your treasured ones / your hidden ones

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Psalms 83:3 Translator Notes

• יַעֲרִימוּ (yaʿărîmû) comes from a root meaning “to be shrewd” or “to act subtly” — the same nuance as the serpent in Genesis 3:1 (“crafty”). It carries a sense of deceptive planning, not open attack.

• סוֹד (sōḏ) is a word for a secret council or intimate discussion — often used of God’s own heavenly council (e.g., Job 15:8, Jeremiah 23:18). Here, the enemies mimic that concept for evil.

• צְפוּנֶיךָ (ṣĕpûnêḵā) is striking — literally “your hidden ones.” It can mean God’s precious ones, kept safe, or His faithful who are concealed/protected. The psalmist views Israel (or possibly the faithful remnant) as hidden treasures of God.

• The verse suggests the plot is both against God (v.2) and against His people (v.3), tying their destinies together.

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Psalms 83:4 Transliteration

אָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַכְחִידֵם מִגּוֹי וְלֹא־יִזָּכֵר שֵׁם־יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד׃ (ʾāmrû lĕḵû wĕnaḵḥîḏēm mig·gôy wĕlōʾ-yizzāḵēr šēm-yiśrāʾēl ʿôḏ)

• אָמְרוּ (ʾāmrû) – they said

• לְכוּ (lĕḵû) – come / go

• וְנַכְחִידֵם (wĕnaḵḥîḏēm) – and we will annihilate them / and we will destroy them

• מִגּוֹי (mig·gôy) – from (being) a nation / out of nationhood

• וְלֹא (wĕlōʾ) – and not

• יִזָּכֵר (yizzāḵēr) – will be remembered

• שֵׁם (šēm) – name

• יִשְׂרָאֵל (yiśrāʾēl) – Israel

• עוֹד (ʿôḏ) – again / anymore / still

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Psalms 83:4 Translator Notes

• וְנַכְחִידֵם (wĕnaḵḥîḏēm) is strong — it means to utterly wipe out, remove from existence. It’s not just defeat; it’s total erasure.

• מִגּוֹי (“from a nation”) is not “from among nations,” but “from (being) a nation,” indicating the intent is to strip Israel of statehood or existence as a distinct people.

• שֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל (“name of Israel”) refers not just to the label, but to their identity, reputation, and legacy. In biblical thought, if the name is erased, the people effectively cease to exist in memory.

• The verse reflects both political and cultural genocide — the complete removal of Israel’s national identity from human history.

• In prophetic readings, this verse has often been applied to coalitions or alliances bent on Israel’s destruction (sometimes tied to later verses listing hostile nations).

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Psalms 83:5 Transliteration

כִּי נוֹעֲצוּ לֵב יַחְדָּו עָלֶיךָ בְּרִית יִכְרֹתוּ׃ (kî nōʿăṣû lēḇ yaḥdāv ʿālêḵā bĕrît yik·rĕṯû)

• כִּי (kî) – for / because / indeed

• נוֹעֲצוּ (nōʿăṣû) – they have taken counsel / they have conspired

• לֵב (lēḇ) – heart / inner mind / will

• יַחְדָּו (yaḥdāv) – together / in unity

• עָלֶיךָ (ʿālêḵā) – against you / upon you

• בְּרִית (bĕrît) – covenant / pact / alliance

• יִכְרֹתוּ (yik·rĕṯû) – they will cut / they make (idiom for “make a covenant”

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Psalms 83:5 Translator Notes

• נוֹעֲצוּ לֵב יַחְדָּו literally means “they have counseled a heart together,” which is idiomatic for being united in intent and purpose — not just meeting, but sharing a single, determined will.

• עָלֶיךָ (ʿālêḵā) — “against you” — confirms that this is not merely against God’s people (v.3) but ultimately directed against God Himself. In Hebrew thought, an attack on the covenant people is an attack on the covenant God.

• יִכְרֹתוּ בְּרִית — “they cut a covenant” — is the standard biblical phrase for forming a binding alliance, often sealed with ritual sacrifice (cf. Genesis 15:18). Here it’s used for an anti-God coalition, showing they treat their cause with the solemnity of a sacred pact.

• The verse bridges the shift from general hostility to a formal, binding agreement among multiple hostile parties — setting the stage for the list of nations in the following verses.

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Psalms 83:6 Transliteration

אָהֳלֵי אֱדוֹם וְיִשְׁמְעֵאלִים מוֹאָב וְהַגְרִים׃ (ʾoholê ʾĕḏôm wĕyišmĕʿēʾlîm môʾāḇ wĕhag·rîm)

• אָהֳלֵי (ʾoholê) – tents of / dwellings of

• אֱדוֹם (ʾĕḏôm) – Edom (descendants of Esau; territory south of Judah)

• וְ (wĕ) – and

• יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים (yišmĕʿēʾlîm) – Ishmaelites (descendants of Ishmael; nomadic tribes of Arabia)

• מוֹאָב (môʾāḇ) – Moab (descendants of Lot; east of the Dead Sea)

• וְ (wĕ) – and

• הַגְרִים (hag·rîm) – Hagrites (descendants of Hagar; nomadic peoples east of Israel)

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Psalms 83:6 Translator Notes

• אָהֳלֵי (“tents of”) is a poetic way of referring to nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, evoking the image of their camp life. It can also imply “households” or “tribal groups” rather than fixed nations.

• אֱדוֹם — traditionally Israel’s bitter rival, descended from Esau. Prophets often use Edom as a symbol of perpetual hostility toward Jacob’s descendants.

• יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים — tribes tracing back to Ishmael; they ranged widely in the Arabian deserts and sometimes allied with other peoples against Israel (cf. Judges 8:24).

• מוֹאָב — east of the Dead Sea; historically in frequent conflict with Israel but also sharing a blood connection through Lot.

• הַגְרִים — obscure in later history, but mentioned in 1 Chronicles 5:10, 19–20 as being fought and defeated by Israel’s tribes east of the Jordan. Their name directly links them to Hagar, mother of Ishmael.

• This is the beginning of a multi-verse roster of enemies, functioning like an ancient military coalition record.

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Psalms 83:7 Transliteration

גְּבַל וְעַמּוֹן וַעֲמָלֵק פְּלֶשֶׁת עִם יֹשְׁבֵי צוֹר׃ (gĕḇāl wĕʿammôn waʿămālēq pĕlešet ʿim yōšḇê ṣôr)

• גְּבַל (gĕḇāl) – Gebal (likely a Phoenician city or region, possibly Byblos in Lebanon; sometimes linked with Edomite territory in the south)

• וְ (wĕ) – and

• עַמּוֹן (ʿammôn) – Ammon (descendants of Lot; territory east of the Jordan River)

• וַ (wa) – and

• עֲמָלֵק (ʿămālēq) – Amalek (ancient nomadic enemy of Israel, notorious for attacking the weak)

• פְּלֶשֶׁת (pĕlešet) – Philistia (Philistine territory on the southwest coast of Canaan)

• עִם (ʿim) – with

• יֹשְׁבֵי (yōšḇê) – inhabitants of / those dwelling in

• צוֹר (ṣôr) – Tyre (Phoenician port city in present-day Lebanon)

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Psalms 83:7 Translator Notes

• גְּבַל (Gebal) is debated — it could refer to (a) the Phoenician city Byblos in Lebanon, or (b) a district in Edom’s territory (cf. Joshua 13:5; Ezekiel 27:9). Both interpretations carry different geopolitical implications for the coalition.

• עֲמָלֵק — the archetype of Israel’s enemy in the Torah (cf. Exodus 17:8–16; Deuteronomy 25:17–19), representing unprovoked hostility.

• פְּלֶשֶׁת — Philistia’s inclusion shows the confederation spans both Israel’s east and west borders.

• יֹשְׁבֵי צוֹר — Tyre was a powerful maritime trade center. An alliance involving Tyre indicates significant economic and logistical cooperation.

• These names, combined with v.6, describe an unusually wide coalition of peoples that historically did not always work together — making this an extraordinary and ominous alliance.

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Psalms 83:8 Transliteration

אַשּׁוּר גַּם־נִלְוָה עִמָּם הָיוּ זְרוֹעַ לִבְנֵי־לוֹט סֶלָה׃ (ʾaššûr gam-nil·wāh ʿimmām hāyû zĕrôaʿ livnê-lôṭ selāh)

• אַשּׁוּר (ʾaššûr) – Assyria (major Mesopotamian empire to the northeast)

• גַּם (gam) – also / even

• נִלְוָה (nil·wāh) – has joined / has allied

• עִמָּם (ʿimmām) – with them

• הָיוּ (hāyû) – they became / they were

• זְרוֹעַ (zĕrôaʿ) – arm / strength / military support

• לִבְנֵי־לוֹט (livnê-lôṭ) – to the sons of Lot (descendants of Lot, i.e., Moab and Ammon)

• סֶלָה (selāh) – Selah (likely a liturgical or musical pause; possibly “lift up” or “pause and reflect”)

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Psalms 83:8 Translator Notes

• אַשּׁוּר (Assyria) — inclusion of such a distant, powerful empire shows the seriousness of this alliance; Assyria’s reach went far beyond Israel’s immediate neighbors.

• נִלְוָה עִמָּם — “joined with them” has the sense of attaching oneself as a partner or ally.

• זְרוֹעַ — “arm” is metaphorical for military might, strength, or active support. Here it means Assyria provided power backing Moab and Ammon.

• לִבְנֵי־לוֹט — explicitly identifies Moab and Ammon (Lot’s sons via his daughters; Genesis 19:36–38) as central figures in the conspiracy.

• סֶלָה — in psalmic usage may indicate a pause for reflection, a cue for musical interlude, or a signal to emphasize the preceding statement — here, the gravity of such an unprecedented alliance.

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wadi Kishon is also known as Kishon River

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Psalms 83:9 Transliteration

עֲשֵׂה לָהֶם כְּמִדְיָן כְּסִיסְרָא כְּיָבִין בְּנַחַל קִישׁוֹן׃ (ʿăśēh lāhem kĕmid·yān kĕsîsrāʾ kĕyāḇîn bĕnaḥal qišôn)

• עֲשֵׂה (ʿăśēh) – do / act / deal

• לָהֶם (lāhem) – to them / for them / against them

• כְּ (kĕ) – like / as

• מִדְיָן (mid·yān) – Midian (enemy nation defeated by Gideon in Judges 6–8)

• כְּ (kĕ) – like / as

• סִיסְרָא (sîsrāʾ) – Sisera (Canaanite general defeated by Deborah and Barak; Judges 4–5)

• כְּ (kĕ) – like / as

• יָבִין (yāḇîn) – Jabin (king of Hazor, allied with Sisera)

• בְּנַחַל (bĕnaḥal) – in the wadi / in the torrent valley / in the streambed

• קִישׁוֹן (qišôn) – Kishon (river in northern Israel where Sisera’s army was defeated)

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Psalms 83:9 Translator Notes

• עֲשֵׂה לָהֶם — an imperative prayer: “deal with them” or “act toward them” in the same way You acted in the past.

• Midian — refers to the miraculous defeat in Gideon’s time (Judges 7), where a small Israelite force routed a vast enemy army.

• Sisera and Jabin — both were defeated in the days of Deborah (Judges 4–5). Their army was overwhelmed near the Kishon River, likely aided by a sudden storm that flooded the valley.

• The psalmist is invoking specific historical precedents where God Himself orchestrated Israel’s victory, suggesting that the current alliance (vv.6–8) should meet the same fate.

• This verse begins the historical appeal section of the psalm (vv.9–12), where past divine interventions are cited as grounds for present deliverance.

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En-dor was located in located between the Hill of Moreh and Mount Tabor in the Jezreel Valley

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Psalms 83:10 Transliteration

נִשְׁמְדוּ בְּעֵין־דֹּאר הָיוּ דֹּמֶן לָאֲדָמָה׃ (nišmĕdû bĕʿên-dōʾr hāyû dōmen lāʾăḏāmāh)

• נִשְׁמְדוּ (nišmĕdû) – they were destroyed / they were annihilated

• בְּ (bĕ) – in / at

• עֵין־דֹּאר (ʿên-dōʾr) – En-dor (location near Mount Tabor; site of defeat of Canaanite forces)

• הָיוּ (hāyû) – they were / they became

• דֹּמֶן (dōmen) – manure / dung / decaying refuse

• לָאֲדָמָה (lāʾăḏāmāh) – to the ground / for the soil / for the earth

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Psalms 83:10 Translator Notes

• נִשְׁמְדוּ — complete annihilation, with no survivors. It echoes the request in v.9 for God to replicate past total victories.

• עֵין־דֹּאר — a location tied to the Deborah-Barak battle (Judges 4–5). Though not the main site of combat, it may have been a place where fleeing enemies were overtaken and finished off.

• דֹּמֶן (domen) — not just “dust” but organic waste used as fertilizer; the imagery is deliberately degrading, portraying enemies as rotting refuse returning to the soil.

• The verse intensifies the prayer’s tone — from simply defeating enemies to utterly erasing their power and legacy, turning them into something lowly and lifeless.

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En-dor was located in located between the Hill of Moreh and Mount Tabor in the Jezreel Valley

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Psalms 83:11 Transliteration

שִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ נְדִיבֵ֣מוֹ כְּעֹרֵ֑ב וְ֝כִזְאֵ֗ב וּכְזֶ֤בַח וּכְצַלְמֻנָּֽע׃ (shitémo nedivémó keʿorév ve-khizʾév u-khezévach u-khetsalmunnā)

• שִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ (shitémo) – set them / place them / make them

• נְדִיבֵ֣מוֹ (nedivémó) – their nobles / their leaders

• כְּעֹרֵ֑ב (keʿorév) – like Oreb (Midianite prince, Judges 7:25)

• וְ֝כִזְאֵ֗ב (ve-khizʾév) – and like Zeeb (Midianite prince, Judges 7:25)

• וּכְזֶ֤בַח (u-khezévach) – and like Zebah (Midianite king, Judges 8:5,21)

• וּכְצַלְמֻנָּֽע (u-khetsalmunnā) – and like Zalmunna (Midianite king, Judges 8:5,21)

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Psalms 83:11 Translator Notes

• This verse recalls Judges 7–8, when Gideon defeated the Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb, then later captured and executed Zebah and Zalmunna.

• The psalmist invokes these past events as a model for how God should deal with the present enemies—destroying not just the armies, but the leadership structure.

• “Set them” here carries the sense of appointing them to a fate—specifically, the same humiliating end as these infamous leaders.

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Psalms 83:12 Transliteration

אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ נִירְשָׁה לָּנוּ אֵת נְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים (ă·šer ʾā·mərū nîr·šāh lā·nū ʾēt nə·ʾōṯ ʾĕ·lō·hîm)

• אֲשֶׁר (ʾă·šer) – which / that

• אָמְרוּ (ʾā·mərū) – they said

• נִירְשָׁה (nîr·šāh) – let us take possession / inherit

• לָּנוּ (lā·nū) – for ourselves / to us

• אֵת (ʾēt) – direct object marker (not translated in English)

• נְאוֹת (nə·ʾōṯ) – pastures / dwelling places / habitations

• אֱלֹהִים (ʾĕ·lō·hîm) – God / gods (here: God of Israel)

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Psalms 83:12 Translator Notes

• נְאוֹת (nəʾōt) literally means pastures or habitation places (used in Psalm 23:2 for “green pastures”), but in this context refers to the land, temple, or dwelling places belonging to God.

• The phrase נְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים could be metaphorical for the entire land of Israel as God’s property (cf. Leviticus 25:23).

• The verb נִירְשָׁה is cohortative in tone (“let us take possession”), expressing a united determination of the enemies.

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Psalms 83:13 Transliteration

אֱלֹהַי שִׁיתֵמוֹ כַגַּלְגַּל כְּקַשׁ לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ׃ (Elohai shitemo ka-galgal ke-qash lifnei-ruach)

• אֱלֹהַי (Elohai) – my God

• שִׁיתֵמוֹ (shitemo) – set them / place them (3rd masc. pl. with object suffix “them”)

• כַּגַּלְגַּל (ka-galgal) – like a rolling thing / whirling thing (often used for tumbleweed or rolling dust)

• כְּקַשׁ (ke-qash) – like stubble / chaff

• לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – before / in the presence of

• רוּחַ (ruach) – wind / spirit / breath

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Psalms 83:13 Translator Notes

• גַּלְגַּל (galgal) literally means “wheel” or “something round,” but in poetic contexts it likely refers to tumbleweed, swirling dust, or anything rolling uncontrollably before the wind. It carries the sense of instability and being driven without direction.

• קַשׁ (qash) is stubble or dry straw left after harvesting—light, worthless, and easily blown away.

• This is an imprecatory simile, continuing the psalmist’s request for God to utterly scatter and disempower the enemies mentioned earlier.

• The imagery connects to Isaiah 17:13 and Job 21:18, where the wicked are compared to chaff or whirling dust before a storm.

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Psalms 83:14 Transliteration

כְּאֵ֣שׁ תִּבְעַ֣ר יָ֑עַר וּ֝כְלֶהָבָ֗ה תְּלַהֵ֥ט הָרִֽים׃ (ke·ʾēsh tiv·ʿar yā·ʿar, u·khe·leh·hā·vāh te·lahēt hā·rīm.)

• כְּאֵשׁ (keʾēsh) — like fire

• תִּבְעַר (tivʿar) — it will burn / consume (3rd fem. sg. imperfect, from baʿar, "to burn")

• יָעַר (yāʿar) — forest / thicket

• וּ (u) — and

• כְּלֶהָבָה (khe·leh·hā·vāh) — like a flame / blaze

• תְּלַהֵט (te·lahēt) — it will set ablaze / scorch (3rd fem. sg. imperfect, from lahat, "to flame, to blaze")

• הָרִים (hā·rīm) — mountains

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Psalms 83:14 Translator Notes

• The imagery here is deliberately destructive and unstoppable—forest fires in ancient Israel were rare but terrifying, often used metaphorically for divine wrath.

• The two clauses use parallelism: the first describes destruction in the lowlands (forest), the second in the highlands (mountains), conveying a total consuming judgment.

• The imperfect verbs (tivʿar, telahet) carry a vivid, ongoing sense: “is burning,” “is blazing,” not just a one-time act.

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Psalms 83:15 Transliteration

כֵּן תִּרְדְּפֵם בְּסַעֲרָתֶךָ וּבְסוּפָתְךָ תְּבַהֲלֵם׃ (Ken tirdəfem bə-saʿărāteḵā u-vəsūp̄āteḵā təvahalem.)

• כֵּן (ken) – thus / so

• תִּרְדְּפֵם (tirdəfem) – you will pursue them (2ms imperfect of רָדַף “to pursue” + 3mp suffix “them”)

• בְּסַעֲרָתֶךָ (bə-saʿărāteḵā) – in your storm (*בְּ in + סַעֲרָה “storm, tempest” + 2ms suffix “your”)

• וּבְסוּפָתְךָ (u-vəsūp̄āteḵā) – and in your hurricane/whirlwind (*וּ and + בְּ in + סוּפָה “storm, whirlwind” + 2ms suffix “your”)

• תְּבַהֲלֵם (təvahalem) – you will terrify them (2ms imperfect of בָּהַל “to terrify, disturb” + 3mp suffix “them”)

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Psalms 83:15 Translator Notes

• The two images—סַעֲרָה (“tempest”) and סוּפָה (“whirlwind”)—are often paired in Hebrew poetry for intensification, evoking unstoppable, destructive force.

• The verb תְּבַהֲלֵם suggests not only fear but panic and confusion, implying divine judgment that causes disarray among the enemies.

• This verse continues the imprecatory tone of the psalm, where the psalmist petitions YHWH to treat Israel’s enemies as He treated those in past historical judgments.

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Psalms 83:16 Transliteration

מַלֵּא פְנֵיהֶם קָלוֹן וִיבַקְשׁוּ שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה׃ (malleʾ pənêhem qālōn vîvaqšū shimkā YHWH)

• מַלֵּא (malleʾ) – fill / make full

• פְנֵיהֶם (pənêhem) – their faces

• קָלוֹן (qālōn) – dishonor / shame / disgrace

• וִיבַקְשׁוּ (vîvaqšū) – and let them seek / so that they will seek

• שִׁמְךָ (shimkā) – your name

• יְהוָה (YHWH) – YHWH (the covenant name of God)

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Psalms 83:16 Translator Notes

• Malleʾ is an imperative: a direct appeal to God to act.

• “Faces” is a Hebrew idiom for personal dignity and public presence — the request is for visible humiliation.

• Qālōn refers to deep dishonor or disgrace, not just mild embarrassment.

• The purpose clause vîvaqšū suggests the shame is intended to lead to repentance and the acknowledgment of YHWH’s name.

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Psalms 83:17 Transliteration

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִבָּהֲלוּ עֲדֵי־עַד וְיַחְפְּרוּ וְיֹאבֵדוּ׃ (yevōshū veyibbāhalū ʿadê-ʿad veyaḥpərū veyōvēdū)

• יֵבֹשׁוּ (yevōshū) – let them be ashamed / may they be humiliated

• וְ (ve) – and

• יִבָּהֲלוּ (yibbāhalū) – let them be terrified / dismayed / thrown into panic

• עֲדֵי־עַד (ʿadê-ʿad) – forever and ever / perpetually

• וְ (ve) – and

• יַחְפְּרוּ (yaḥpərū) – let them be humiliated / disgraced (lit. “dig down in shame”)

• וְ (ve) – and

• יֹאבֵדוּ (yōvēdū) – let them perish / be destroyed

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Psalms 83:17 Translator Notes

• ʿadê-ʿad is an emphatic form for unending duration, stressing the totality of the judgment.

• Yibbāhalū implies a state of panic or trembling, often from divine intervention (cf. Exodus 15:15).

• Yaḥpərū carries the sense of being utterly humiliated to the point of metaphorically “digging into the ground” in shame.

• The verse layers emotional defeat (shame, terror) with final ruin (perish), showing the psalmist’s desire for God’s complete vindication.

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Psalms 83:18 Transliteration

לְשֹׁמְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וּלְזֹכְרֵי פִקּוּדָיו לַעֲשׂוֹתָם׃ (lə·šō·mrê ḇə·ri·tô û·lə·zō·ḵrê piq·qu·ḏāw la·‘ă·śō·ṯām)

• לְשֹׁמְרֵי (lə·šō·mrê) – to/for (those) keeping / guarding

• בְּרִיתוֹ (ḇə·ri·tô) – his covenant

• וּלְזֹכְרֵי (û·lə·zō·ḵrê) – and to/for (those) remembering

• פִּקּוּדָיו (piq·qu·ḏāw) – his precepts / commandments / appointments

• לַעֲשֹׂתָם (la·‘ă·śō·ṯām) – to do them / to carry them out

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Psalms 83:18 Translator Notes

• The verse clarifies who receives Yahweh’s steadfast love and righteousness from v.17—namely, those who remain faithful to His covenant and mindful of His commands.

• "Keepers" (שֹׁמְרֵי) is active, implying ongoing vigilance in guarding covenant obligations, not mere passive possession.

• "Rememberers" (זֹכְרֵי) in Hebrew is not just mental recall but implies acting upon what is remembered. This is reinforced by the final clause "to do them," showing that biblical remembrance is inseparable from obedience.

• "Precepts" (פִּקּוּדִים) is a term often used in Psalms for divine instructions with a connotation of being entrusted duties or responsibilities.

• The construction links covenant loyalty and obedience, echoing Deuteronomy 7:9—"Know that Yahweh your God is the faithful God, keeping covenant and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments."

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