Psalm 83:13
ESV
O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.
NIV
Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind.
NASB
My God, make them like the whirling dust, Like chaff before the wind.
CSB
Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like straw before the wind.
NLT
O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind!
KJV
O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
NKJV
O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind!
What does Psalm 83:13 mean?
This is one of the "imprecatory" psalms. To "imprecate" is to evoke a curse, or to wish harm. Asaph sees enemy nations conspiring to annihilate Israel (Psalm 83:4–8). In prior verses, he began asking God to repeat the harsh judgments which had fallen on enemies such as Midian (Psalm 83:9–12). Now, he turns to more direct language. Asaph calls for specific forms of harm to fall on these opponents. This passage is labeled an "imprecatory" psalm for that reason.Both dust and chaff are worthless; the implication is that Israel's enemies were worthless in terms of morals and decency. Possibly the word "dust" refers to rolling things like dry weeds without roots. The wind picks them up and blows them over wide, open spaces. The imagery resembles rolling tumbleweed over the plains in Western United States. The tumbleweed serves no purpose useful to humans, and Israel's enemies served no good purpose.
Prior to modern machinery, farmers would gather grain from their fields and thresh it: striking it to separate different parts. The resulting mix was then tossed into the wind. The grain was heavy, and fell to the ground, while the inedible bits called chaff blew away in the wind. Psalm 1 describes the blessed man as fruitful, but also says, "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away" (Psalm 1:4).
Psalm 83:9–18 comes after Asaph's plea: that God will stop the coalition of enemies attempting to destroy Israel. Here, Asaph directly asks the Lord to punish these opponents. He asks God to disgrace them, annihilate them, and make them acknowledge that the Lord alone is the Most High over all the earth. These requests place this song among the "imprecatory psalms."
Asaph prays for God to intervene in a conspiracy. Many nations cooperate to erase Israel and her legacy. He asks the Lord for protection, asking Him to repeat the harsh judgments brought on pagan nations in the past. Asaph extends this by asking God to bring destruction, ruin, and humiliation on these opponents. Despite this, Asaph recognizes that the proper goal is for these nations to recognize that God alone is Most High. This is one of several "imprecatory" psalms such as Psalm 5, 10, 17, 109, and 137, which request God to deliver severe harm on some enemy.
