Question 1

What is happening in this psalm and why is the writer so urgent?

Accepted Answer

The writer is looking at a large group of nations that have joined together against Israel. They are loud, proud, and openly hate God and His people. Their goal is not just to harm Israel but to erase them so that no one even remembers their name. Seeing this danger, the writer cries out to God with strong words, asking Him not to stay silent or still. The urgency comes from feeling surrounded and helpless, knowing that only God can break this hostile alliance and keep His people safe.

Question 2

Who are God’s “hidden ones” mentioned in this prayer?

Accepted Answer

God’s “hidden ones” are His people who belong to Him and are under His care, even when they seem small or weak in the eyes of the world. The picture is of people whom God keeps close, like something precious kept in a safe place. Enemies may plot against them and think they are easy to crush, but they are not forgotten by God. He knows them, watches over them, and shelters them, even when danger is very near and they cannot protect themselves.

Question 3

Why does the writer list so many nations by name?

Accepted Answer

The many names show how wide and serious the danger is. Israel is not facing just one enemy, but a whole lineup of groups, some even related by family lines, like Edom and the children of Lot. By naming them, the writer shows that this is a real, united plan to destroy Israel as a nation. It also shows that hatred of God’s people can pull together very different groups. This long list helps us feel how human help seems small and why the writer turns to God for rescue.

Question 4

Why does the psalm ask God to judge the enemies like Midian and Sisera?

Accepted Answer

The writer looks back to times when God had already saved His people from strong enemies, such as Midian, Sisera, and Jabin. In those past events, God turned hopeless battles into clear victories, and those enemies were brought low and scattered. By asking God to act in the same way, the writer is not just asking for payback, but showing faith that God has not changed. The same God who judged those evil plans before can again protect His people and end this new threat.

Question 5

What does it mean to “make them like a wheel” and “as stubble before the wind”?

Accepted Answer

These pictures show enemies becoming weak and unstable. A wheel here is likely something light that easily rolls around and is tossed about. Stubble is the dry stalk left after grain is cut; it is weightless and blown away by the wind. The writer is asking God to take these proud, united enemies and make them easy to scatter and remove. Their power looks strong now, but in God’s hands they can be turned into something that cannot stand, moves without control, and quickly disappears.

Question 6

Why does the writer ask that the enemies be filled with shame and fear?

Accepted Answer

The request for shame and fear is not just to hurt them for its own sake. The writer asks that their faces be filled with shame so that they may seek God’s name. The hope is that when their pride is broken and their plans fail, they will see who God really is. Even when he later speaks of lasting shame and ruin, the aim is that everyone will know that the Lord, whose name alone is Jehovah, is the Most High over all the earth, and that it is useless to fight against Him.

Question 7

What does this psalm teach about God’s character and power?

Accepted Answer

This prayer shows that God closely links Himself with His people. When they are attacked, He calls the attackers His enemies. It shows that God is not weak or distant; He has acted in history to crush proud enemies and can do so again. He guards His “hidden ones,” even when they feel surrounded. In the end, His purpose is that all people know His name and see that He alone is the Most High over all the earth, far above every noisy plot and human alliance.

Question 8

How can this psalm help believers who feel surrounded or attacked today?

Accepted Answer

This passage gives words for times when trouble feels bigger than we are. It reminds believers that God sees the plans of those who hate Him and His people, even when those plans are secret and clever. We can pray honestly, asking God not to stay silent but to act for His name and His people. It also calls us to remember how God has helped before. Past rescues are fuel for present trust, and we can rest in the truth that He still rules over all the earth.

Psalm 83:1

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

O God, Be Not Silent

A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

O God, Be Not Silent

A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

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Psalm 83:1

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

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O God, Be Not Silent

A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

O God, Be Not Silent

A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

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