Psalms 83:10
who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 83:10
who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse uses the stark imagery of becoming "dung for the ground" not just to describe death, but a fate of utter dishonor and oblivion, highlighting the profound contempt and finality of their defeat. This poetic language powerfully conveys that their enemies didn't just die, but became something the earth itself rejected and trampled underfoot.
This psalm is a fervent prayer for God to defeat Israel's enemies, drawing on past victories. The speaker recalls how God routed the Midianites and later the forces of Jabin and Sisera near the Kishon stream, whose defeated armies literally became like dung on the ground, unburied and trampled underfoot. These historical triumphs are invoked as proof that God is mighty to save and to judge, encouraging the prayer for similar destruction upon the current oppressors who seek to claim God's land.
The Bible doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of warfare. This verse points to a specific, devastating event, showing God's power to bring down His enemies.
The Psalmist invokes the memory of past victories to illustrate the ultimate fate of those who oppose God and His people. While the exact location of 'En-dor' in this specific historical account is debated, it's clear the verse references the dramatic defeat of enemies like the Midianites or the forces of Jabin and Sisera. These were not small skirmishes; they were battles where God intervened decisively, leading to the utter destruction of those who threatened His people.
The phrase 'dung for the ground' is visceral and shocking. What does this graphic imagery tell us about how God views His enemies?
This phrase is a powerful metaphor for utter worthlessness and contempt. It signifies that the fallen enemies were not even worthy of a proper burial. Their bodies were left to rot, becoming literally indistinguishable from refuse, trampled underfoot, and serving only to fertilize the soil in the most ignominious way.
This imagery conveys several key points:
Understand the original words
šā-maḏ · Hebrew Verb
To bring to nothing, to annihilate, or to ruin; used in reference to God’s judgment upon the wicked or enemies of His people.
dō-men · Hebrew Noun
Refuse or excrement; used here metaphorically to describe the complete humiliation, worthlessness, and ignominious end of those who opposed God.
The psalmist references the devastating destruction of ancient enemies, like the Midianites and Canaanites, as a plea for God to act similarly against current foes. The mention of En-dor points to the wider battlefields near Megiddo and Tabor where these victories occurred, emphasizing the complete ruin and ignominious end of God's enemies.
c. 11th Century BC
Midianite Oppression and Gideon's Victory
The Midianites, along with other eastern peoples, oppressed Israel for years. God raised up Gideon, who, with a small force of 300 men, dramatically defeated the vast Midianite army near the hill of Moreh and the Jordan River.
c. 11th Century BC
Pursuit and Slaughter of Midianite Leaders
After the main battle, Gideon and his men pursued the fleeing Midianites, capturing and executing two of their princes, Oreb and Zeeb. Later, Gideon himself captured and executed two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna.
c. 11th Century BC
Israel's relative peace after Midianite defeat
Following the decisive victory, the land had rest for forty years. The victory served as a powerful reminder of God's ability to deliver His people from overwhelming odds.
c. 13th Century BC
Jabin and Sisera Oppress Israel
King Jabin of Hazor, with his general Sisera commanding a formidable army and iron chariots, oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. This oppression was particularly severe in the northern regions.
This passage describes Gideon's victory over the Midianites, the same historical event alluded to in Psalm 83:10, emphasizing the utter destruction and defeat of the enemy.
2 Kings 9:37This verse describes Jezebel's corpse being left as dung upon the field, a graphic parallel to the fate of the enemies in Psalm 83:10, highlighting the ignominious end awaiting those who oppose God.
Jeremiah 8:2The prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of people being 'dung on the face of the earth' for their unburied dead, mirroring the contemptuous description in Psalm 83:10 and underscoring the shame of a godless demise.
Judges 5:19This verse from the Song of Deborah directly names the battle at Taanach and Megiddo, places near En-dor, linking the historical context of enemy destruction to the specific location mentioned in Psalm 83:10.
clarkePsalms 83:10: "Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth."
Perished at En-dor - This refers to the defeat of the Midianites by Gideon, who were encamped in the valley of Jezreel, at the foot of Mount Gilboa, and near to Tabor, Judges 6:33 ; Judges 7:1 , and consequently in the environs of En-dor. There Gideon attacked and defeated them; and, in various places during their flight, they were destroyed, and left to rot upon the earth. Judges 7:22-25 .
cambridgePsalms 83:10: "Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth."
10 . En-dor is not mentioned in the narrative of Judges, but it was situated in the same valley as Taanach and Megiddo, which are named in Jdg 5:19 , and is mentioned along with them in Joshua 17:11 . as dung ] Omit as . A contemptuous expression for the fate of un-buried corpses. Cp 2 Kings 9:37 ; Jeremiah 8:2 ; &c.
The verse uses the stark imagery of becoming "dung for the ground" not just to describe death, but a fate of utter dishonor and oblivion, highlighting the profound contempt and finality of their defeat. This poetic language powerfully conveys that their enemies didn't just die, but became something the earth itself rejected and trampled underfoot.
This psalm is a fervent prayer for God to defeat Israel's enemies, drawing on past victories. The speaker recalls how God routed the Midianites and later the forces of Jabin and Sisera near the Kishon stream, whose defeated armies literally became like dung on the ground, unburied and trampled underfoot. These historical triumphs are invoked as proof that God is mighty to save and to judge, encouraging the prayer for similar destruction upon the current oppressors who seek to claim God's land.
This psalm is a fervent prayer for God to defeat Israel's enemies, drawing on past victories. The speaker recalls how God routed the Midianites and later the forces of Jabin and Sisera near the Kishon stream, whose defeated armies literally became like dung on the ground, unburied and trampled underfoot. These historical triumphs are invoked as proof that God is mighty to save and to judge, encouraging the prayer for similar destruction upon the current oppressors who seek to claim God's land.
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c. 13th Century BC
Deborah and Barak's Victory at Kishon
Under the leadership of the prophetess Deborah and the warrior Barak, the Israelites decisively defeated Jabin's army at the river Kishon. Sisera fled and was later killed by Jael.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
Davidic King and Poet prays for deliverance
The psalmist, likely King David or a contemporary ruler during a time of significant national threat, prays for God's intervention against enemies who seek to destroy Israel and claim its lands.
"who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground." — The verse uses the stark imagery of becoming "dung for the ground" not just to describe death, but a fate of utter dishonor and oblivion, highlighting the profound contempt and finality of their defe…