What is the meaning of Psalm 83:7? Gebal “Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the people of Tyre.” (Psalm 83:7) • Gebal was a mountainous district in Edom, south of the Dead Sea. Edom itself is listed in the verse immediately before (Psalm 83:6), and Gebal represents a clan within that wider nation. Because Edom descended from Esau (Genesis 36:1–8), this name reminds us that even close relatives can oppose God’s covenant people. • Throughout Scripture, Edom is pictured as a persistent foe (Obadiah 10–14; Ezekiel 35:5). By including Gebal, the psalmist underscores the completeness of the coalition: every level of Edomite society, from clan to kingdom, has aligned against Israel. • The mention of Gebal also highlights geography. With Edom controlling the southern approaches, Israel is encircled from the southeast. The psalmist is showing how total the threat is—yet he prays with confidence because the Lord is faithful (Psalm 83:1, 18). Ammon • Ammon descended from Lot (Genesis 19:36–38). Though related to Israel, the Ammonites frequently chose hostility (Judges 11:4–27; 1 Samuel 11:1–3). • God had earlier warned Israel not to take Ammonite land (Deuteronomy 2:19), but Ammon did not honor the restraint. The coalition in Psalm 83 reverses the roles: Ammon now presses into Israel’s inheritance. • Their inclusion stresses that spiritual kinship by blood is not enough; obedience to God’s purposes is what matters (Jeremiah 49:1–6). Amalek • Amalek was the first nation to attack Israel after the Exodus (Exodus 17:8–16). God swore perpetual war against Amalek because that attack was ultimately against Him (Deuteronomy 25:17–19). • Later, Saul’s partial obedience in 1 Samuel 15 shows how seriously God views Amalek’s hatred. By Psalm 83, the Amalekites are still determined to “wipe out” Israel (Psalm 83:4). • Their presence in the list reminds us that ancient grudges linger when sin is unrepented. Yet God’s promise stands: He will blot out Amalek’s memory (Exodus 17:14), and the psalmist prays in line with that promise. Philistia with the people of Tyre • Philistia occupied the coastal plain in the southwest. From the era of Samson to David, they were Israel’s most visible military rival (Judges 13–16; 1 Samuel 17). • Tyre sits far to the northwest, a Phoenician port famed for trade and wealth (Ezekiel 26:1–6). Though Philistia and Tyre rarely worked together militarily, both profited from Israel’s losses (Amos 1:6–10; Joel 3:4–8). • By pairing them, the psalmist shows the breadth of the conspiracy—from Gaza’s coast to Lebanon’s harbors. Economic motives mingle with spiritual rebellion; the coalition wants Israel gone so that they can divide the land (Psalm 83:12). • Notice that even commercial powers fall under God’s judgment when they oppose His redemptive plan. Tyre’s eventual downfall (Ezekiel 28:18–19) and Philistia’s destruction (Zephaniah 2:5–7) fulfill exactly what Asaph prays for here. summary Psalm 83:7 lists real nations that once surrounded Israel in every direction—south (Gebal/Edom), east (Ammon), southeast (Amalek), southwest (Philistia), and northwest (Tyre). Their united goal was to erase God’s covenant people, but the psalmist answers with confident intercession, appealing to the Lord’s past victories and unchanging promises. The verse therefore teaches that no matter how many foes band together, God’s purposes for Israel—and by extension all who trust Him—remain secure. |
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