Psalms 82:5

lmist calls upon God for immediate help against a multitude of confederate enemies who had risen up against Judah, Psa 83:1-5 . He mentions them by name, Psa 83:6-8 ; shows how they were to be punished, Psa 83:9-17 ; and that this was to be done for the glory of God, Psa 83:18 . The title, A Song or Psalms of Asaph, contains nothing particular. Among a multitude of conjectures relative to the title and occasion of this Psalm, that which refers it to the confederacy against Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, mentioned 2 Chronicles 20, is the most likely. The following reasons make it probable: 1. The children of Ammon, that is, the Ammonites and Moabites, were the principal movers in the war. 2. The Idumeans came to their assistance, 2Chr 20:22 ; with certain Ammonites or Meonians, referred to here in Psa 83:8 , and in 2Chr 20:1 . 3. There were also in this confederacy many strangers of Syria, and from beyond the sea, most likely the Dead Sea, which seems to indicate the Assyrians, Hagaranes, and Ishmaelites, designed expressly here, Psa 83:7 , Psa 83:8 . 4. In that transaction there was a prophet of the race of Asaph, named Jahaziel, who foretold to Jehoshaphat their total overthrow, 2Chr 20:14 , etc., and probably this Jahaziel is the same with Asaph, the author of this Psalm. In the course of the notes we shall see other circumstances relative to the war of the Moabites and Ammonites against Jehoshaphat, which illustrates several particulars in this Psalm. See Calmet. Verse 1 Keep not thou silence - A strong appeal to God just as the confederacy was discovered. Do not be inactive, do not be neuter. Thy honor and our existence are both at stake. Verse 2 Thine enemies make a tumult - They are not merely the enemies of thy people, but they are the enemies of thyself, thy worship, ordinances, and laws: "They make a tumult," they throng together. They - have lifted up the head - They have made an irruption into the land of Judea, and encamped at En-gedi, by the Dead Sea, 2Chr 20:1 , 2Chr 20:2 . Verse 3 Consulted against thy hidden ones - צפוניך tsephuneycha, Thy hidden things; places; persons. "The hidden things in thy treasures." - Chaldee. "Thy holy ones." - Syriac. "Thy saints." - Vulgate and Septuagint; and so the Ethiopic and Arabic. The people of Israel are probably meant. Or perhaps the temple, the ark, and the treasures of the temple, are intended. Verse 4 Let us cut them off - Let us exterminate the whole race, that there may not be a record of them on the face of the earth. And their scheme was well laid: eight or ten different nations united themselves in a firm bond to do this; and they had kept their purpose so secret that the king of Judah does not appear to have heard of it till his territories were actually invaded, and the different bodies of this coalition had assembled at En-gedi. Never was Judah before in greater danger. Verse 5 They have consulted together with one consent - With a united heart, לב יחדו leb yachdav, Their heart and soul are in the work. They are confederate against thee - "They have made a covenant," ברית יכריתו berith yachrithu, "they have cut the covenant sacrifice." They have slain an animal, divided him in twain, and passed between the pieces of the victim; and have thus bound themselves to accomplish their purpose. Verse 6 The tabernacles of Edom - The tents of these different people are seen in the grand encampment. Tents are probably mentioned because it seas the custom of some of these people, particularly the lshmaelites, to live a migratory or wandering life; having no fixed habitation, but always abiding in tents. Their posterity remain to the present day, and act and live in the same manner. Hagarenes - These people dwelt on the east of Gilead; and were nearly destroyed in the days of Saul, being totally expelled from their c

I. God's supreme presidency and power in all councils and courts asserted and laid down, as a great truth necessary to be believed both by princes and subjects ( v. 1 ): God stands, as chief director, in the congregation of the mighty, the mighty One, in coetu fortis—in the councils of the prince, the supreme magistrate, and he judges among the gods, the inferior magistrates; both the legislative and the executive power of princes is under his eye and his hand. Observe here, 1. The power and honour of magistrates; they are the mighty. They are so in authority, for the public good (it is a great power that they are entrusted with), and they ought to be so in wisdom and courage. They are, in the Hebrew dialect, called gods; the same word is used for these subordinate governors that is used for the sovereign ruler of the world. They are elohim. Angels are so called both because they are great in power and might and because God is pleased to make use of their service in the government of this lower world; and magistrates in an inferior capacity are likewise the ministers of his providence in general, for the keeping up of order and peace in human societies, and particularly of his justice and goodness in punishing evil-doers and protecting those that do well. Good magistrates, who answer the ends of magistracy, are as God; some of his honour is put upon them; they are his vicegerents, and great blessings to any people. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king, Prov. xvi. 10 . But, as roaring lions and ranging bears, so are wicked rulers over the poor people, Prov. xxviii. 15 . 2. A good form and constitution of government intimated, and that is a mixed monarchy like ours; here is the mighty One, the Sovereign, and here is his congregation, his privy-council, his parliament, his bench of judges, who are called the gods. 3. God's incontestable sovereignty maintained in and over all the congregations of the mighty. God stands, he judges among them; they have their power from him and are accountable to him. By him kings reign. He is present at all their debates, and inspects all they say and do, and what is said and done amiss will be called over again, and they reckoned with for their mal-administrations. God has their hearts in his hands, and their tongues too, and he directs them which way soever he will, Prov. xxi. 1 . So that he has a negative voice in all their resolves, and his counsels shall stand, whatever devices are in men's hearts. He makes what use he pleases of them, and serves his own purposes and designs by them; though their hearts little think so, Isa. x. 7 . Let magistrates consider this and be awed by it; God is with them in the judgment, 2 Chron. xix. 6 ; Deut. i. 17 . Let subjects consider this and be comforted with it; for good princes and good judges, who mean well, are under a divine direction, and bad ones, who mean ever so ill, are under a divine restraint. II. A charge given to all magistrates to do good with their power, as they will answer it to him by whom they are entrusted with it, v. 3, 4 . 1. They are to be the protectors of those who lie exposed to injury and the patrons of those who want advice and assistance: Defend the poor, who have no money wherewith to make friends or fee counsel, and the fatherless, who, while they are young and unable to help themselves, have lost those who would have been the guides of their youth. Magistrates, as they must be fathers to their country in general, so particularly to those in it who are fatherless. Are they called gods? Herein they must be followers of him, they must be fathers of the fatherless. Job was so, Job xxix. 12 . 2. They are to administer justice impartially, and do right to the afflicted and needy, who, being weak and helpless, have often wrongs done them; and will be in danger of losing all if magistrates do not, ex officio—officially, interpose for their relief. If a poor man has an honest cause, his poverty must be no prejudice to his cause, how great and powerful soever those are that contend with him. 3. They are to rescue those who have already fallen into the hands of oppressors and deliver them. ( v. 4 ): Rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Avenge them of their adversary, Luke xviii. 3 . These are clients whom there is nothing to be got by, no pay for serving them, no interest by obliging them; yet these are those whom judges and magistrates must concern themselves for, whose comfort they must consult and whose cause they must espouse. III. A charge drawn up against bad magistrates, who neglect their duty and abuse their power, forgetting that God standeth among them, v. 2 , 5 . Observe, 1. What the sin is they are here charged with; they judge unjustly, contrary to the rules of equity and the dictates of their consciences, giving judgment against those who have right on their side, out of malice and ill-will, or for those who have an unrighteous cause, out of favour and partial affection. To do unjustly is bad, but to judge unjustly is much worse, because it is doing wrong under colour of right; against such acts of injustice there is least fence for the injured and by them encouragement is given to the injurious. It was as great an evil as any Solomon saw under the sun when he observed the place of judgment, that iniquity was there, Eccl. iii. 16 ; Isa. v. 7 . They not only accepted the persons of the rich because they were rich, though that is bad enough, but (which is much worse) they accepted the persons of the wicked because they were wicked; they not only countenanced them in their wickedness, but loved them the better for it, and fell in with their interests. Woe unto thee, O land! when thy judges are such as these. 2. What was the cause of this sin. They were told plainly enough that it was their office and duty to protect and deliver the poor; it was many a time given them in charge; yet they judge unjustly, for they know not, neither will they understand. They do not care to hear their duty; they will not take pains to study it; they have no desire to take things right, but are governed by interest, not by reason or justice. A gift in secret blinds their eyes. They know not because they will not understand. None so blind as those that will not see. They have baffled their own consciences, and so they walk on in darkness, not knowing nor caring what they do nor whither they go. Those that walk on in darkness are walking on to everlasting darkness. 3. What were the consequences of this sin: All the foundations of the earth (or of the land) are out of course. When justice is perverted what good can be expected? The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved, as the psalmist speaks in a like case, Ps. lxxv. 3 . The miscarriages of public persons are public mischiefs. The Duty of Magistrates. 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. We have here, I. Earthly gods abased and brought down, v. 6, 7 . The dignity of their character is acknowledged ( v. 6 ): I have said, You are gods.

They - The magistrates of whom this psalm treats. Know not - The duty of their place. Nor will - Their ignorance is wilful. Walk on - They persist: it is their constant course. In darkness - In their sinful courses. The foundations - This corruption of the supreme rulers, flows from them to their inferior officers and members.

ut they will not have done this with impunity. He will cast them down and they will have a real fall, though they think themselves secure and do not believe it until they experience it. Nay, they scoff at it, when it is said of them, “The foundations shall fall.” They feel that they sit fast, and have power, and, as the text says, they are called “foundations of the land,” that is, rocks and stones, on which the land and the government stand and rest. For just as, in His Kingdom, Christ is the cornerstone, rock, or foundation, on which the Church is built, or stands, so every prince or lord is the cornerstone, rock, or foundation of his land, or people. This manner of speaking, in which kings and princes are called rocks and cornerstones, is common in Scripture, as when Isaiah calls the king of Egypt “a rock of the people,” etc. With this saying, then, He strikes a blow at their confidence, and says, with a great threat, “Even though you are so firmly planted, and are actually rocks and foundations in the land, I will cast you and dash you down, so that you shall fall and go to pieces. If you compare this saying with the histories, you discover how frequently God overthrows kings and lords, throws them, hurls them, wipes them out, and treats them relentlessly, in the fulfillment of this verse, which they will not believe. Read the books of Kings and see how He wipes out Kings Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehoram, Ahaziah; and among the heathen, the Emperors Julius, Nero, Domitian, etc. Our own times, too, give us illustrations in plenty, if we consider or regard them. But they forget all this, and pay no attention to it, and this verse must seem to them a lie, until they find out by experience how certainly true it is. They earn this overthrow, it says, because they do not take heed, do not consider, and walk in darkness. These are the three vices that have been mentioned. The first is that they do not accept the duty of advancing the Word of God. So long as they have what they want, they do not care what becomes of God and His Word. If He wants to be a God, and advance His own Word, let Him do it Himself; they have many other things to do beside performing this duty. Moreover, they take so little heed to themselves that they are loth to hear and learn the Word of God, in order to know what He is. And, what is still worse, they persecute the Word of God, condemn it unheard, and take the corrupting of souls and the killing and murdering of true preachers, as lightly as though it were a game or a joke to destroy people so pitiably in body and soul. And then they will have it that they have done God service! The second vice is that they do not take heed to their worldly government and do not provide the poor and wretched with law and protection. In this they are not only heedless and negligent, but they vex their subjects with force and wrong, or wink at it, when others do it. And yet no one must say that this is wrong! Thus they become ripe for punishment, and complete their wickedness, and fill up the register of their sins. The third vice is that “they walk in darkness,” and in this godless state, live only for themselves, as though they had got the rulership in order to seek and pursue only their own profit and honor, their own pleasure and selfish desires, their own pride and pomp, and owed no one either service or help. That is an altogether worldly and dark life, for they know not what they do, or ought to do, but go about like blind men, who guide themselves by feeling and tapping. They do what they feel like and want to do, and do not see, beyond these things, those which their office requires. Therefore they must fall and perish, as they deserve. The human heart should be terrified when it hears the judgment and decree passed in heaven upon these tyrants. For this verse clearly shows that before God and the angels they have the honor to be considered despisers and persecutors of God’s Word, violent and vicious rulers, and blind men, who walk in darkness and are to be cast down. Heaven is already ringing with this verdict, and, thanks to this verse, the earth also shall be full of it. But they have armed themselves against it with a strong, thick unbelief that gives them a heart of stone and a head of iron, so that they pay no attention to this utterance, and await their condemnation defiantly and proudly. Ah, well! Let them go on to the devil, since they will not have it otherwise! V.6. I have said, Ye are gods And all of you children of the highest. There it stands! They are, and are called, gods. They are proud of it, and pride themselves confidently on their power. He confesses that they are gods and have power; and that is true. But it is shameful that they