Bible Strands
Psalms 83:5
For with one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You—
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God, describing a coalition of neighboring nations actively conspiring to erase Israel as a people. This declaration occurs in the immediate context of a plea for divine judgment, following the nations' stated goal to destroy Israel's national identity.
The words — לֵב (lev) translates literally as heart, and בְּרִית (be.Rit) means covenant. The text uses these terms to describe a unified conspiracy and a binding agreement directed against God.
The thread — This motif of hostile powers gathering in unity against divine authority appears in Psalms 2:2, where earthly rulers stand together against the LORD and His Anointed. It echoes Isaiah 8:9’s warning that nations huddling in opposition will be shattered, and anticipates Revelation 17:13, where kings share a single purpose to surrender their power to the beast.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that coordinated opposition to God's people is fundamentally opposition to God Himself. It requires the reader to evaluate any collective human agenda by its alignment with divine authority rather than its numerical strength.
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
For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
Cross-references
- Psalms 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:
- Isaiah 8:9 Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Revelation 17:13 These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.
- Isaiah 7:5 For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:
- Revelation 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
- Joshua 10:3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
- 2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob.
- Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Isaiah 7:2 When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.
- John 11:47 Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.