Psalm 82

Psalm 82 belongs to Book III of the Psalms (Psalms 73–89) and is one of the psalms of Asaph (Psalms 50 and 73–83), which bear the superscription "A Psalm of Asaph." The preceding psalm, Psalm 81, opens with festal praise and moves into a lament over a people who would not listen to God's voice. Psalm 82 turns its attention to the injustice of those who judge.

Structure

• Verse 1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty and judges among the gods (the judges).
• Verses 2–4 He rebukes those who judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked. Verse 2 ends with Selah. He then commands them to defend the poor and the fatherless, to do justice to the afflicted and needy, and to rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
• Verse 5 They walk on in darkness, without knowledge or understanding, and as a result all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
• Verses 6–7 Although God said, "Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High," He declares that they shall die like men and fall like one of the princes (high officials).
• Verse 8 The psalmist pleads with God to arise and judge the earth, for all nations are His inheritance (possession).

Key Verses

• Psalm 82:3 "Defend the poor and fatherless." This verse reveals what God requires of those who judge.
• Psalm 82:6 "Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." Jesus quoted this verse in John 10.
• Psalm 82:8 "Arise, O God, judge the earth." The psalm closes with a prayer longing for God's final judgment.

People and Places

• Asaph: The figure named in the superscription. Chronicles presents him as a Levite charged with leading praise in the sanctuary in the time of David.
• God: Both "God" in verse 1 and "gods" in verse 6 translate the Hebrew word Elohim.
• The Most High: A translation of the Hebrew Elyon, designating God as the one who is supreme above all.

Points for Reflection

• Interpretations differ on who is meant by "the congregation of the mighty" in verse 1 and "gods" in verse 6. Many interpreters have long read these as Israel's judges or rulers, who exercised judgment under authority delegated by God. Other scholars, in light of the ancient Near Eastern concept of a "divine council," understand them as heavenly beings or as spiritual powers ruling over the nations. Some strands of Jewish tradition have read them as the people of Israel who received the Law at Mount Sinai. Whichever interpretation is adopted, the main point of the text remains the same: authority that abandons justice for the weak will come under judgment.
• Jesus quoted verse 6 in answering the charge of blasphemy: "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came" (John 10; John 10:35). His use of the verse is frequently cited in support of the human-judges interpretation.
• The command to care for the fatherless and the poor connects with a theme that recurs throughout the Law and the Prophets. The plea of verse 8 is also sometimes read in connection with the hope of the Last Judgment.