Psalm 83 – Do Not Be Deaf

 July 15, 2025

In Psalm 83 – do not be deaf, the psalmist is asking why God is silent, unresponsive to his pleas, like someone who doesn’t hear. But is it that God doesn’t hear and is silent, or is it the psalmist who doesn’t hear what God might be saying?

Psalm 83

Psalm 83 begins with Asaph pleading with God to respond to his request.

“O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.” (1)

This is followed by a listing of all the enemies of Israel are doing:

“See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” (2-4)

And a plea about how they should be punished:

“Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground.” (9-10)

“Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm.
Cover their faces with shame, Lord, so that they will seek your name.” (13-16)

He concludes with a final plea:

“May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (17-18)

Do Not Be Deaf

Other translations of the phrase, “do not be deaf,” are: “Do not hold your peace or be still.” (English Standard, New King James) “Do not be silent.” (NAB) “Do not ignore us.” (NET)

What is it to be deaf? Think of not hearing the sound of the birds or the wind blowing through the trees, of not hearing our loved ones’ voices. Or music. Dreadful. Not being able to participate in conversation and the feelings of loneliness that might arise from this. We connect with others through our ability to hear and be heard.

I’ve been more cognizant of the word as I’ve gotten older and experienced some hearing loss. Hearing loss contributes to social isolation and dementia. Both good reasons to have your hearing checked and obtain hearing aids to help with this.

There have been times when I have asked my husband a question and received no answer. Sometimes he doesn’t hear me. Other times he may hear and chose not to respond. There have been times when my husband has made comments to me and I don’t respond, either because I’m in the middle of something else or I figure it doesn’t require a response. Still, we prefer to be heard and given a response even if that response is not what we want.

So, which is it in Psalm 83 – do not be deaf? Does God not hear or does God choose to be silent, to ignore the request? And if the later, why? Maybe because what the psalmist is asking for is not God’s will. Asaph is asking for revenge, that the enemies of Israel be punished. But maybe if Asaph were to listen to God, Asaph would hear something else, something he didn’t want to hear. Perhaps it is Asaph who is deaf to God.

Psalm 83 – Do Not Be Deaf

That God doesn’t hear doesn’t seem possible. Our God always hears us when we cry out to him. Why would God be silent or ignore us? Perhaps because we are asking for the wrong thing. Or perhaps God has responded and we chose not to listen. Perhaps we are deaf. And then there are those incidents of selective hearing – where we hear what we want to hear rather than what God is saying.

When God appears to be deaf to our plea, God may be waiting for us to listen. During the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mt. 17:1-8, Mk. 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36) God tells Peter, James and John, “This is my beloved son, listen to him.” Something well worth reflecting on.

Are you listening to God or choosing to be deaf to God’s words? And if so, why?

(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 83: Paranoia or Reality? When God is Silent. – Patricia M Robertson)

This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series.      click here to sign up

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