God Judges the Gods (Ps. 82)

 

This psalm is unusual because, except for in the opening and closing verses, God is the speaker, not the addressee. The movement from a prophetic oracle (with the opening verse describing the envisaged setting) to a petition makes best sense as a liturgy performed at the temple. The close parallels with the psalms of Yahweh’s kingship imply a liturgical setting similar to theirs.

WHO ARE THESE OTHER GODS? ISN'T THERE ONLY ONE?

The crux of this psalm lies in determining the identity of the gods (Hb. ʾelōhîm) and addressees of verses 2–7. Are they human judges (Exod. 21:6; 22:8–9, 28) or spiritual beings? 

WHAT IS AN ASSEMBLY OF EL/GODS?

Translation must always involve interpretation, and this is evident in the NIV’s rendering of this psalm. In verse 1 the literal phrase “the assembly of El/God” is translated as “the great assembly,” and “gods” is placed in quotation marks (likewise v. 6), though not indicated in the Hebrew text (Classical Hebrew does not have such punctuation marks). In verse 7 the words “mere” and “other” are not present in the Hebrew text.

The most obvious reading of this psalm, especially from the Hebrew, is to understand the ʾelohîm and “sons of the Most High” (vv. 1, 6) as “gods” or “heavenly beings” 

HEAVENLY BEINGS WHO ARE NOT ANGELS

The Hebrew ʾelohîm has a wider range of meaning than the English terms “God” and “gods.” Elsewhere, the OT refers to God’s “assembly” or “council” in heaven (Ps. 89:5–8; 1 Kgs. 22:19–23; cf. Isa. 6:1–8; 40:1–11; also Jer. 23:18; Job 15:8). Psalm 89:6 refers to its members as “sons of god(s)” (Hb. benê ʾēlîm, NIV “heavenly beings”). 

The same phrase appears in 29:1 (which the NIV renders as “mighty ones”), in which they are to ascribe “glory” (29:1–2, 9) to Yahweh as the divine king enthroned in his heavenly palace/temple (Hb. hêkāl, 29:9–10). In Job 1:6; 2:1 the “sons of God” (NIV, “angels”) “came to present themselves before the LORD,” presumably as servants of the king. 

GOD IS THE GREAT ELOHIM OF ELOHIM

A phrase characteristic of Yahweh’s praise is that he is incomparable among the “gods” (Exod. 15:11; Pss. 86:8; 95:3; 96:4; 97:9; 135:5).

Deuteronomy 32:8 (in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the LXX, NIV margin) tells us, “When the Most-High gave the nations their inheritance when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (reading Hb. benê ʾēl[îm]). 

This implies that each people was assigned to a patron heavenly being. 

SPIRIT BEINGS ARE ASSIGNED TO NATIONS?

Similarly in Psalm 82 we see ʾelohîm committed with the administration of justice (vv. 2–4), apparently with respect to “the nations” (v. 8). 

Daniel 10:13, 20–21 refers to the “prince of Persia” and “the prince of Greece,” both of whom are angelic figures presiding over nations. (One may also consider Paul’s mention of “principalities and powers” in the NT.) Together these passages imply that Yahweh had assigned spiritual beings or angels to oversee justice for each nation.

Another parallel to Psalm 82, where the gods are on trial, lies in the trial speeches against the nations in Isaiah, especially 41:21–29. 

Here, in a courtroom setting, Yahweh challenges the gods of the nations to present evidence that they are gods, and in view of their apparent silence he declares, “See, they are all false!” Another indication that the ʾelohîm of Psalm 82 are not Israelite judges is that verses 5b and 8b give it an international, and even cosmic perspective, not one confined to the land of Israel.

Author: Hubbard, R. L. J., & Johnston, R. K. (2012).