The Conspiracy of the Nations

Unlike other corporate prayer psalms, this one actually names the national enemies (vv. 5–8), and so it would seem we have one psalm we can date precisely to a particular crisis. But we cannot correlate the nations listed in this alliance with any event narrated in the OT. This list of ten nations appears simply to summarize those who have been national enemies of the people of God, thus making this psalm appropriate for any instance where national security is threatened. Unlike most other corporate laments where distress is already upon the people, here the distress is imminent. It is at the stage of conspiracy (“they conspire, they plot, they say, they plot, they form an alliance,” vv. 3–5) not of actual attack.

83:1–8  With a strong sense of urgency the intro…