Psalm 83 18

Psalm 83:18 kjv

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18 nkjv

That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18 niv

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD? that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18 esv

that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83:18 nlt

Then they will learn that you alone are called the LORD,
that you alone are the Most High,
supreme over all the earth.

Psalm 83 verses

Psalm 83 18 Meaning

Psalm 83:18 expresses a fervent prayer for divine action, culminating in the universal recognition of God's unique identity. It declares that the God of Israel, identified by His personal covenant name YHWH (often rendered "JEHOVAH" or "LORD"), is exclusively the Most High God, possessing supreme authority and sovereignty over all the earth. The psalmist's desire is for the nations to know this profound truth experientially, moving from ignorance or opposition to acknowledging God's singular power and elevated position above all other claimed deities or earthly rulers.

Psalm 83 18 Context

Psalm 83 is a communal lament, a desperate plea to God to act against a formidable confederacy of hostile nations plotting against Israel (vv. 4-8). The psalmist, Asaph, invokes God's past victories (e.g., against Midian, Sisera, Jabin – vv. 9-11) as a precedent for intervention. The prayer escalates from seeking destructive judgment upon the enemies (vv. 13-17) to the climactic desire in verse 18: that the outcome of God's action would lead all people to recognize His singular, supreme authority. The context is one of severe existential threat to God's people, where the enemies' actions are perceived as a direct affront to God's honor and claim over His covenant nation. Therefore, the vindication of Israel is inherently linked to the universal revelation of God's unmatched power and name.

Psalm 83 18 Word analysis

• That men may know:
  • lā·ḏa·‘aṯ (לָדַעַת): The Hebrew infinitive construct "to know" derived from yada'.
  • Implies not merely intellectual apprehension but deep, experiential, and intimate knowledge.
  • Signifies a personal relationship or undeniable realization of truth.
  • Desired outcome: humanity moving from ignorance/defiance to acknowledging God's true identity.
• that Thou:
  • Emphasis on God's personal existence and distinctiveness.
  • Direct address underscores the psalmist's personal relationship and petition to the specific God of Israel.
• Whose name alone is JEHOVAH:
  • šə·me·ḵā (שְׁמֶךָ): "Your name." The term "name" in Hebrew thought represents the essence, character, and reputation of a person.
  • lə·ḇad·de·ḵā (לְבַדֶּךָ): "alone" or "only you."
  • Highlights God's absolute uniqueness, exclusivity, and singular deity. There is no other God like Him.
  • JEHOVAH: This rendering is a transliteration combining the consonants of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH (יְהוָה), with the vowels of Adonai (Lord) to assist pronunciation.
  • The original Hebrew consists of the four consonants YHWH (the Tetragrammaton), which is God's unique, personal, covenant name. It signifies God as the self-existent, eternal, ever-present One ("I AM WHO I AM" – Exod 3:14).
  • Jewish tradition avoided speaking YHWH aloud, substituting Adonai. Many Bible translations render YHWH as "LORD" (in small capitals) to show this reverence while distinguishing it from Adonai.
• Art the most high:
  • ‘Elyōwn (עֶלְיוֹן): "Most High" or "Exalted One."
  • A title of God emphasizing His supremacy, transcendence, and absolute sovereignty over all creation, heavens, and earth.
  • It points to God's elevated status, unparalleled power, and position above all other beings, gods, or rulers.
  • Combined with YHWH, it declares that the personal God of Israel is indeed the supreme, ultimate authority.
• Over all the earth:
  • Establishes the universal scope of God's dominion.
  • Not just a tribal or national deity, but the sovereign ruler of the entire world and all its inhabitants.
  • Polemics against polytheism and territorial deities of surrounding nations, asserting YHWH's authority over every pagan god and nation.

Psalm 83 18 Bonus section

The longing for "men to know" God in Psalm 83:18 aligns with the broader biblical theme that the true purpose of God's interventions, both in judgment and salvation, is to reveal Himself. Throughout scripture, God declares His actions so that people "may know that I am the LORD" (e.g., Exod 7:5, Ezek 6:7). This desire for universal recognition extends beyond Israel's immediate enemies, encompassing all nations, as seen in prophetic literature concerning the end times where "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab 2:14). The New Testament portrays Jesus Christ as the ultimate revelation of the "one true God," through whom God's nature and supreme authority are made known to mankind, echoing the spirit of this psalm's desire for all to truly "know" Him.

Psalm 83 18 Commentary

Psalm 83:18 is the powerful culmination of a fervent plea, shifting from imprecation to declaration. It encapsulates a profound theological truth: God's ultimate desire is not merely vengeance, but universal recognition of His unique glory. The verse highlights the core attributes of the God of Israel: His personal identity revealed in His covenant name (YHWH), His absolute singularity ("alone"), and His supreme, transcendent authority ("Most High") extending over all creation ("all the earth"). The psalmist's prayer anticipates a future where humanity, through God's decisive acts, will abandon false deities and acknowledge Him experientially as the one true, sovereign Lord. This verse teaches that God's name and glory are intimately linked to His actions in the world, and His self-vindication inevitably leads to His universal exaltation and the ultimate bowing of every knee before Him.