Midras Mazmur 83:5: Aggadat Bereshit, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tehillim

[2] Another interpretation: "Things will come to your heart." Everything is first considered in the heart. Esau did this, as it is said, "And Esau said in his heart" (Genesis 27:41). Nebuchadnezzar did this, and you also said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13). Haman did this, as it is said, "Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai" (Esther 5:9-13). The kingdom of Sodom did this, as it is said, "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?" (Isaiah 5:3-4). Likewise, Gog did this, as it is said, "Let things come to your heart and put evil schemes into your mind" (Ezekiel 38:10). Everything he thought in his heart, the Holy One, blessed be He, made public. And what Esau thought, see later at the end of chapter 42 [of Genesis]. He went to Ishmael and said, "This is not the way of the world that I should kill my father Isaac. Rather, kill him and let me inherit the entire world." This is what he said with his mouth, but in his heart he was saying, "I will kill Jacob after Ishmael kills Isaac." He came to Ishmael and killed him and said, "Why did you kill my father?" And I will inherit the entire world for myself." He thought this in his heart, and the Holy One, blessed be He, made it public, as it is said, "For I have laid bare Esau's rugged mountains and his dwelling place" (Jeremiah 49:10). The Lord said, "I know what you thought in your heart," as it is said, "Because you said, 'These two nations and these two lands shall be mine, and we will possess them,' whereas the Lord was there" (Ezekiel 35:10). There I looked into your heart and saw what you thought. Likewise, Gog and Magog think in their hearts, as it is said, "On that day, things will come to your heart and you will plan an evil plan" (Ezekiel 38:10). And the Holy One, blessed be He, makes public what they are thinking, as it is said, "And you said, 'I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates'" (Ezekiel 38:11). And what does he think? Rather, this is what Pharaoh, who came against the Israelites, says: "He [Moses] was a fool, he left his patron and came to them." And similarly, Amalek, Sisera, and anyone who stood against them [the Israelites], they left [it] to the Holy One, blessed be He, [to deal with them], [because] they were fools. But what can I do? I will go first to the patrons of Israel, and if I kill the Messiah, he will raise up other Messiahs. But [the judgment] is upon the Lord, as it says, "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?" (Psalms 2:1-2). Edom, Ishmael, Gebal, Ammon, and Assyria all conspired against the Almighty, as it is written, "They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones" (Psalms 83:3). And what do they do? They stand on their feet and look up at the Almighty, saying, "Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more" (Psalms 83:5). What is the name of Israel? They say, "Let us wipe it out," as it is written, "Blessed is the Eternal, God of Israel" (Psalms 41:14). And what does the Lord do to them from above? He stands on their feet and punishes them, as it is written: "And this shall be the plague...he shall stand upon his feet, and his eyes shall consume away in their holes, and his tongue shall consume away in his mouth." (Zechariah 14:12). Those feet that wanted to stand against Me, the plague consumes them while they stand on their feet. Those eyes that looked upwards, his eyes shall consume away in their holes. And that tongue that spoke against Me, his tongue shall consume away in his mouth. The Lord said to them: "At first, there was no peace among you, 'There is no peace,' says the Lord, 'for the wicked'" (Isaiah 48:22). But now you have made peace with each other to come against Me. It is written, "For they have consulted together with one consent; against thee do they make a covenant: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah." (Psalm 83:6-9). All of you have made peace to come against Me, so I will also do the same. And you, son of man, shall say to the birds and to every beast of the field: "Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood." (Ezekiel 39:17). Just as you did not have peace with each other and made peace to come upon me, so too I call the birds and animals that did not have peace with each other and I make peace between them to come upon you. And because you said, "And let not the name of Israel be remembered anymore," (Psalm 83:5) your life will end and they will bury you and take your name away from the world, as it is said, "all the people of the land shall bury them. The day I manifest My glory shall bring renown to them", and they shall make an end. (Ezekiel 39:13)

When you go out to war, etc. (Deuteronomy 20:1): What is written above the matter? "And the judges shall make a thorough investigation" (Deuteronomy 19:18). From when the judges execute judgement, you [can] go out to war and you will be victorious. And so did David state (Psalms 119:121), "I have done justice and righteousness; do not abandon me to those who would wrong me." And it is [also] written (Psalms 119:122), "Guarantee Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant wrong me." So too is the Holy One, blessed be He, only brought up in the world through judgement, as it is stated (Isaiah 5:16), "And the Lord of hosts is exalted by justice." Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says (Avot 1:18), "On three things the world stands: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said (Zachariah 8:16), 'Judge truth and the justice of peace in your gates.'" Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "And all of [these things] are dependent upon judgement, as through judgement is peace and truth established." Therefore when Israel is executing judgement, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings down their enemies in front of them, as it is stated (Psalms 81:14-15), "If only My people listens to Me, etc. Quickly I would subdue their enemies, etc." And what are the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He? Righteousness and justice, as it is stated (Genesis 18:19), "and they shall keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice." Therefore, it is written in the section of judges (Deuteronomy 16:18), "and they shall judge the people with righteous justice"; and afterwards, "When you go to war against your enemies." What is [the meaning of] "against your enemies?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Go forth against them like enemies: In the way that they do not have mercy upon you, so [too], do not have mercy upon them. See what they say: 'Let us wipe them out as a nation; Israel’s name will be mentioned no more.' [It is] that same name that I say (Psalms 106:48), 'Blessed is the Lord (the Name), the Lord of Israel.' Therefore go forth against them like enemies." Israel said, "Master of the world, until when will they stand against us," as it is stated (Psalms 86:14), "O God, arrogant men have risen against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life." He said [back] to them, "Not only against you have they risen, but also against Me, as it is stated (Psalms 2:2), 'Kings of the earth take their stand, and regents intrigue together against the Lord and against His anointed.' Rather see how they are enemies." Therefore, it is written, "When you go out to war against your enemies."

To conquer with melodies. May God have mercy on us and bless us. As it is written (Lamentations 3:22): "The Lord's mercies are not consumed." We know that the mercy of the Holy One, blessed be He, endures forever, and His mercies are not exhausted. His mercy towards us is such that even when the nations of the world say (Psalms 47:5): "Let us destroy them from being a nation," His mercies do not cease upon us. Therefore, it is said: "The Lord's mercies are not consumed," and even greater than this is that You renew us and establish us anew every morning, as it is written (Lamentations 3:23): "They are new every morning." From this we know that Your faithfulness is great to all the inhabitants of the world. And the matter of faith that You spoke with our forefathers, when we came to Babylon, the renewal that You made for us, made it little and it passed. And when Moses saw the kingdom of Greece that oppressed us, he began to pray that it should fall into the hand of the staff of Levi, and he began to say (Deuteronomy 33:11): "Bless, Lord, his strength." Therefore, we say "Bless" with a blessing that blesses Your children, and what blessing do we bless them with? "The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). And also here, "May God have mercy on us and bless us." And if You do so (Psalms 67:16), You will make known Your strength among the nations, as it is said: "That Your way may be known upon earth, Your salvation among all nations." And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not save Israel through their own actions, but to make known His might and to declare His Name. And Asaph said thus (Psalms 76:2): "In Judah is God known; His name is great in Israel." And it is said (Psalms 77:15): "Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph." And He saved them for the sake of His Name, to make known His might, so that the nations may not say, "We have prevailed over them." Rather, they will acknowledge Him, as it is said: "Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee" (Psalms 67:4). And thus it is said (Isaiah 35:1): "For as the earth bringeth forth her shoots." And it is said (Isaiah 43:21): "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."