Psalm 83 (82):16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What? Should they be put to death? No, rather ‘shake them’ so that they may find salvation. This presents an alternative understanding. The psalmist calls for eleven afflictions upon them as they turn away from the mystery represented by the eleven apostles. “Thou therefore shalt persecute them with Thy thunder” (Psalms 82:16): this is the fifth. “And with Thy wrath Thou shalt shake them”: this is the sixth.

As it is said, fire consumes the forest, so, O Lord, You have brought low the nations that envy the renewal of Jerusalem; for fire swiftly and fiercely devours the woods. The subsequent flame serves to clarify this: like fire, etc. Similarly, the declaration, You will crush them with Your fury, clarifies the words, You will harvest them with Your storm. Thus, the Lord declares, You will harvest and confound them with Your storm, meaning through Your wrath, or through a sudden and intense surge of Your anger, as noted by Isychius. For it is characteristic of a storm, along with a powerful whirlwind, to confuse and devastate what it encounters.

The prophet refers to the swift and severe anger of God directed at sinners as a storm, intending for it to send them fleeing and leave them in disarray. The manner in which this will occur has been elucidated previously, illustrating that they will be scattered into small fragments, akin to how chaff is dispersed, and will be turned to dust and ashes, as the fury of God against them diminishes like a consuming fire.

After declaring the fate of the unrighteous and the fleeting nature of their earthly joys, along with their ultimate demise in the future age, he now warns of the swiftness with which divine retribution will ensue. To illustrate his point, he draws a powerful analogy, likening God's wrath not only to the wind that breaks the reed but also to flames that consume the mighty oak and the grass that flourishes upon the hills. Here, storm and wrath symbolize the same reality: the just judgment of God, which has the potency to leave the wicked in disarray, akin to a fierce tempest or whirlwind that no strength can withstand. Saint Augustine insightfully remarks that the wicked are likened to mountains due to their arrogance and pride, as well as to oak trees that bear no good fruit, which is why they are justly destined for everlasting flames.

The Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit through David, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, to declare the prophetic message within it about the impending trials faced by the Jewish people, particularly Christ's devoted followers over various periods, notably during the reign of the Antichrist. In this context, the prophet implores God, echoing the collective prayer of the Holy Church during times of persecution. Malice serves as a demonic allure that leads to idolatry and all forms of sin. Due to God's forbearance, the adversaries grew arrogant and brazen. Those who rage against God's people and His saints wage war against Him whom they serve as brothers. The towns of Idumea were home to the Idumeans, descendants of Esau, also known as Edom, due to his fiery red appearance.