Psalms 83:18

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah,.... Or, "that thou, thy name alone is Jehovah" (p), a self-existent Being, the Being of beings, the everlasting I AM, the immutable God; for

O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. -Second part of the second main division. Prayer inspired by God for the extinction of the foe by the fiery storm of God. Verse 13.

That men may know, or that they may know, to wit, by costly experience, even by their own ruin, what they would not know by information for their own good, that thou art the Most High, the most high God, and the God not only of his people Israel, as the heathen fancied, and as their gods were confined to their particular and several territories, but the God and Governor of all the nations and parts of the earth.

Psalms 83:18 That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.Ver. 18. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah] The essentiator, Isaiah 44:6, with Acts 17:25 Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8. The Jews pronounce not this name at all, but use Adonai or Elohim for it. The first among the Christians that pronounced it was Petrus Galatinus, following the pronunciation of the Syriacs and Greeks. Genebrard will have it pronounced Jahue, and bitterly inveigheth against Beza and ethers as profaners of God’ s name, who call God Jova, or Jehova; vocabulo novo , saith he, barbaro, fictitio, irreligioso et Iovem Gentilium redolente. It is very likely that of this holy and reverend name of God, the Gentiles called their greatest god Jove and Jupiter, that is, Jah-pater (Aug. do Consens. Evang. l. 1, c. 22). Pausanias also telleth us that the poets thus sang unto him, Zευνην, Zευςεστι, Zευςεσσεται, ωμεγαλε Zευ. And Varro, the most learned of the Romans, thought Jove to be the God of the Jews. But he and all men should have known, as here, that Jehovah is God alone; and so have sought to the Jews (of whom alone was salvation, John 4:22) for better understanding in the things of God’ s kingdom, acknowledging him to be the most High above all the earth, and contemning minutulos istos deos modo Iovem sibi propitium haberet , as another heathen said.

Verse 18. That men may know] That they may acknowledge, and be converted to thee. Here is no malice; all is self-defence. ANALYSIS OF THE EIGHTY-THIRD PSALM This Psalm divides itself into four parts: - I. A short ejaculation, Psalms 83:1. II. A complaint against God's enemies, which is the reason of this prayer, Psalms 83:2-10. III. A fearful imprecation against them, Psalms 83:12-17. IV. The charitable ends proposed, Psalms 83:18. I. The ejaculation or prayer: "Keep not thou silence - be not still." Thy enemies are loud in their threatenings, and active in their endeavours, to destroy thy people and thy worship: "Hold not thy peace!" II. He complains - These are enemies, 1. To thy people, Psalms 83:2. 2. To God himself, Psalms 83:5. Then he describes them, Psalms 83:6-8. 1. They were banditti - spoilers: They "make a tumult," Psalms 83:2. 2. Proud and arrogant: "They have lifted up the head," Psalms 83:2. 3. They were subtle and crafty: "They have taken crafty counsel," Psalms 83:3. 4. They carried their cunning counsel into acts of aggression: "Come, and let us cut them off," c., Psalms 83:4. 5. They were conspirators, - 1. Against God. 2. Against his people. All the world against God and his Church! Not an uncommon case. 6. He gives us a catalogue of these conspirators, Psalms 83:6-8: Edom, &c. III. He prays to God against them. In which there are four particulars: 1. Their fall and ruin. 2. Their persecution. 3. Their terror. 4. Their disgrace. These he illustrates by five similitudes: 1. Of a wheel that, running on, crushes all under it successively. 2. Of stubble or chaff, easily driven away by the wind, Psalms 83:13. 3. Of a wood or forest in a state of general conflagration, Psalms 83:14. 4. Of a flame that even consumes the mountains, Psalms 83:14. Their fall and ruin he wished to be - 1. Speedy and perpetual: "Do unto them as unto the Midianites," &c., Psalms 83:9-13. 2. Sudden and violent: "As fire," Psalms 83:13. 3. Terrible and shameful: "Fill their faces with shame," Psalms 83:15-16. There are here three particulars of their punishment: 1. Flight. 2. Terror. 3. Shame and ignominy. IV. The charitable ends proposed. These were two: - 1. That they might seek after God, be converted to him, Psalms 83:16. 2. That they might know him to be Jehovah, the only true God, that they might be saved from all idolatry, Psalms 83:18. The spirit of this prayer is, 1. If they will not seek thee, and be converted, let them be confounded in their attempts against thy people. 2. If they will not acknowledge thee, let them be utterly routed and overthrown: "Let them be put to shame, and perish!"

18. That they may know that thou, whose name is JEHOVAH, even thou alone, Art the Most High over all the earth. The primary object of chastisement is conversion (Psalms 83:16); but if they will not acknowledge Israel’s God as the God of revelation, let them be compelled by reiterated judgements to recognise Him as the Almighty Ruler. Cp. Isaiah 37:20; 2 Chronicles 20:29. The ruin with which they threaten God’s people will recoil upon themselves (Psalms 6:10; Psalms 35:4; Psalms 35:26). For ‘know’ see Psalms 59:13 : and generally, cp. Psalms 97:8-9; Isaiah 26:9-11.

That men may know - That all people may be impressed with the belief that thou art the true and only God. This was the design and aim of the prayer in the psalm.

18. That men may know—The knowing God which is here intended, is a true perception and discovery of his supremacy over all gods and all nations of the earth.