O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

PSALMS 83:13KJV
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Psalms 83:13 (KJV)

What does Psalms 83:13 mean?

Psalms 83:13 is a prayer asking God to make the enemies of Israel as powerless and fleeting as a wheel (likely a rolling tumbleweed) or as stubble blown away by the wind. The verse uses vivid images to express a desire that these enemies would be scattered and unable to stand against God’s people.

The psalm is spoken by someone calling out to God during a time when Israel faces threats from surrounding nations. The speaker uses the picture of things easily swept away by the wind to show how completely he wants God to remove those who oppose Israel. This verse is part of a larger plea for God to defend His people and show His power over their adversaries.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 83:13

  • "Wheel" (גַּלְגָּל, galgal): This word often refers to something that rolls, like a wheel or a tumbleweed. Here, it suggests something light and easily moved, emphasizing how the enemies should be made unstable and unable to resist.
  • "Stubble" (קַשׁ, qash): Stubble is the dry stalks left after grain is harvested, which are easily blown away. The image highlights how quickly and completely the enemies could be scattered.
  • "Wind" (רוּחַ, ruach): This word means wind or spirit. In this context, it is the force that carries away the wheel and stubble, showing how God’s power can sweep away opposition.

Why Psalms 83:13 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the psalmist is not just asking for defeat of enemies, but for their total removal and helplessness, using images familiar to ancient readers.
  • It connects to the larger theme of the psalm, which is a call for God to act decisively against those who threaten His people.
  • The vivid metaphors help readers picture the kind of deliverance the psalmist desires—one that leaves no trace of the enemy’s strength or presence.

Where else these words appear

“wheel” Hebrew H1534 · used in 11 verses

  • Psalms 77:18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
  • Isaiah 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
  • Ezekiel 10:6 And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

“stubble” Hebrew H7179 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
  • Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
  • Jeremiah 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

“make” Hebrew H7896 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
  • Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.