The Bible – Old Testament
Psalms
Index
Int. 1. 2. 3. … 81. 82. 83. … 149. 150.
Chapter 82
1
A psalm of Asaph. 1 God rises in the divine council, gives judgment in the midst of the gods.
2
“How long will you judge unjustly and favor the cause of the wicked? Selah
3
Defend the lowly and fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and needy.
4
Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5
2 The gods neither know nor understand, wandering about in darkness, and all the world’s foundations shake.
6
3 I declare: “Gods though you be, offspring of the Most High all of you,
7
Yet like any mortal you shall die; like any prince you shall fall.”
8
4 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for yours are all the nations.
1 [Psalm 82] As in Psalm 58, the pagan gods are seen as subordinate divine beings to whom Israel’s God had delegated oversight of the foreign countries in the beginning (⇒ Deut 32:8-9). Now God arises in the heavenly assembly (⇒ Psalm 82:1) to rebuke the unjust “gods” (⇒ Psalm 82:2-4), who are stripped of divine status and reduced in rank to mortals (⇒ Psalm 82:5-7). They are accused of misruling the earth by not upholding the poor. A short prayer for universal justice concludes the psalm (⇒ Psalm 82:8).
2 [5] The gods are blind and unable to declare what is right. Their misrule shakes earth’s foundations (cf ⇒ Psalm 11:3; ⇒ 75:4), which God made firm in creation (⇒ Psalm 96:10).
3 [6] I declare: “Gods though you be”: in ⇒ John 10:34 Jesus uses the verse to prove that those to whom the word of God is addressed can fittingly be called “gods.”
4 [8] Judge the earth: according to ⇒ Deut 32:8-9, Israel’s God had originally assigned jurisdiction over the foreign nations to the subordinate deities, keeping Israel as a personal possession. Now God will directly take over the rulership of the whole world.
Index
Int. 1. 2. 3. … 81. 82. 83. … 149. 150.