Bible Strands
Psalms 83:10
who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses Yahweh in a communal prayer for intervention, placing this verse between two historical judgments of Israel’s enemies. The moment functions as a liturgical appeal for God to apply past victories to current adversaries.
The words — נִשְׁמְדוּ (nish.me.Du) literally means “they were destroyed,” and דֹּמֶן (Do.men) means “dung,” describing the defeated foes’ final state. The phrase בְּעֵין־דּוֹר (ve./'ein-Dor) anchors this event geographically at Endor.
The thread — Endor appears in Joshua 17:11 as a territorial boundary and in 1 Samuel 28:7 as the location of Saul’s consultation with a medium. The motif of divine distress and disgrace echoes the warning in Zephaniah 1:17 that mankind will walk blind because they have sinned against the LORD.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that historical judgments are recorded as factual precedents for current appeals to divine justice. It requires the reader to accept the unvarnished imagery of total defeat without softening its severity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Which perished at En–dor: they became as dung for the earth.
Cross-references
- Zephaniah 1:17 I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
- Joshua 17:11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.
- 1 Samuel 28:7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.
- 2 Kings 9:37 And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
- Jeremiah 8:2 They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.
- Jeremiah 16:4 “They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”