תהלים, פרק פ״ג, פסוק י״ג

A deep-seated drive for conquest and dispossession fuels the alliance of nations rising against the people of Israel. This coalition, consisting of nations like Edom, Ishmael, and their allies, has united with a singular purpose [רש״י, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The very formation of their pact is an intentional strike against the honor of God's name [אלשיך]. Because they have boldly declared their intent to seize the holy places for themselves, a plea is made for God to punish them [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, מאירי].

The enemies' ultimate ambition is to conquer God's own dwellings, claiming His residences and pleasant places as their own inheritance [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. The primary approach among commentators identifies these sacred spaces as the Temple [רש״י, מצודת דוד], the entire Land of Israel [רד״ק], or a combination of both [מאירי].

This aggressive ambition to conquer sacred territory echoes past historical conflicts. Just as earlier kings and princes attempted to take over God's inheritance and were ultimately defeated during the time of Gideon, these current enemies seek to expel the Israelites. Their actions mirror the crisis faced by King Jehoshaphat, who cried out in prayer when foreign armies came to drive the people out of the very inheritance that God had granted them [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].