I would be interested in your thoughts on this and the related post ‘You are gods’
To understand Psalm 82 I believe it’s very helpful to canvass the Psalms of Asaph, the author of Psalm 82. In the chronological quotes below of Asaph’s psalms I want you to observe his pleas, complaints and imperatives directed to God which are similar to those found in Psalm 82 itself. In doing so, I think you will see that Psalm 82 is indeed a plea to God to judge justly.
Here’s half of Psalm 82 to help you see the correspondences with the other Psalms of Asaph extracted below:
Psalm 82 (all scriptures from NKJV)
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 [c]Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked. …
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.
Psalm 74
O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation [Ps 82:1], which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—
This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.
The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;
They set up their banners for signs. …
10 O God, how long will the adversary [c]reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them. …
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord,
And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! [perhaps figurative language for the weak or innocent]
Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 Have respect to the covenant;
For the [f]dark places of the earth are full of the [g]haunts of [h]cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man [i]reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;
The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Psalm 75
2 [God speaking]“When I choose the [b]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah …
10 “All the [e]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,
But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”
Psalm 76
In Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2 In [b]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion. …
8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth …
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed [b]forevermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?
Psalm 79
5 How long, Lord?
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out Your wrath on the [c]nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
8 Oh, do not remember [d]former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
For Your name’s sake!
Psalm 80
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!
3 Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
4 O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved! …
12 Why have You broken down her [g]hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. …
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
Psalm 82
Did you see the direct correspondences in Psalm 82 below with the quotes from Psalms 74-83 of Asaph?
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 [c]Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked. …
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.
Psalm 83
Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace,
And do not be still, O God!
2 For behold, Your enemies make a [a]tumult;
And those who hate You have [b]lifted up their head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” …
9 Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera,
As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor,
Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!
From these Psalms of Asaph we see God questioned: “O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? … O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? We also see imperatives directed at God to do justice for His people against the wicked and to help the poor and needy among them. Four of the eight verses of Psalm 82 do exactly the same. I hope you can also see the very important correspondence between Psalm 75:2, where God said He will choose the proper time to judge uprightly, and Psalm 82, where the question is asked, ‘How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked.’
Psalm 82 now verse by verse
God stands in the congregation of [a]the mighty; He judges among the [b]gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Firstly, notice the logical flow between verses one and two. Who is the judge in v.1? God is. Therefore, the question in v.2, ‘how long will you judge unjustly?’ logically refers to the judge referred to in v.1 – God. Note it’s only a question. It’s not saying God is unjust. It’s only Asaph’s heart-felt complaint. Job, David and Habakkuk are just three other examples of other writers who similarly plead with or complain against God. You can see how Asaph’s question is entirely consistent with his previous Psalms and Psalm 83.
Some commentators are contending though that Asaph has switched his concern to heaven here. Dr Michael Heiser and others argue God is standing in the congregation of the mighty in the heavenly realm and judging among ‘gods’ in the heavenly realm. However, that would be a radical change in Asaph’s concern, as his focus in Psalms 73-81 and 83 is on the wickedness of humans on earth. Below are some reasons why the references in v.1 to the ‘congregation of the mighty’ and the ‘gods/elohim’ referred to can apply to men and probably do.
We see references to the congregation and assembly referring to men in Psalm 74:2 and 111:1. We see reference to God’s judgment from heaven upon the earth to deliver the oppressed among men in Psalm 76:8-9 & 12. Notice also Psalm 50:4-6 referring to God judging his people. Notice also the references above to God being with His people (standing) in the sanctuary/meeting place on earth (Psalm 74:2-4, 7, 76:2, 77:13). Notice also how the same Hebrew word used for ‘mighty’ in v.1 is applied in Job 41:25, Ezekiel 31:11 and Psalm 29:1 & 9 to people. Notice also Exodus 21:6 & 22:8-9 where the judges of Israel are referred to as Elohim. Finally, consider the commentary on John 10 below where Jesus describes the ‘gods’ referred to in Psalm 82 and Exodus 21:6 & 22:8-9 as those to whom the word of God came (‘and the Scripture cannot be broken’). This is clearly ‘men’ in context. Psalm 82:6’s (‘I said YOU [my emphasis] are gods’) therefore also provides powerful support to the gods referred to in v.1 being human.
In light of this, I hope you can see it is reasonable to see v.1 as referring to God’s presence with men on earth judging among them. If, however, you’re not convinced of this, it does not detract from what follows regarding whom Asaph is addressing in the rest of the Psalm. Verse one could alternatively stand alone as a general statement of God being the judge over all beings in heaven and earth. Verses 2-4 could still be a plea for the great judge of all to judge justly. After all, God is the only judge expressly mentioned in v.1 and v.2 follows on saying, ‘How long will you judge unjustly?’.
Psalm 82 continues:
2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 [c]Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are [d]unstable.
In light of all of the Psalms of Asaph, this portion can now be logically and comfortably interpreted as Asaph pleading with God on behalf of his ignorant or wayward people. If one interprets this as a plea to divine beings, one should ask themselves whether defending the poor and fatherless and delivering the poor and needy etc is even their duty. Are they even tasked with that?
Psalm 82 continues:
6 I said, “You are [e]gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
There is a sudden jump to God speaking in response to Asaph’s plea or complaint. It’s not unusual for Asaph to jump to God’s voice like this (see Psalm 75:1-2). It is, however, logical that God responds in this Psalm to Asaph’s plea and complaint to Him. Exodus 21:6 & 22:8-9 are the relevant sections of scripture where men are figuratively referred to by God as gods (i.e. those given power to judge as God does):
then his master shall bring him to the judges [Elohim]. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever (Ex. 21:6)
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges [Elohim] to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods. “For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges [Elohim]; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbour (Exodus 22:8-9)
Nevertheless, since the men being referred to are not actually ‘gods,’ they shall die as men and fall like princes. Again, consider the commentary on John 10 below where Jesus describes the ‘gods’ referred to in Psalm 82 and Exodus 21:6 & 22:8-9 as those to whom the word of God came - clearly men in context.
Finally, Psalm 82 continues:
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.
Asaph, here, resumes his plea to God. Note it is a plea to judge the earth, not beings in the heavenly realm. Asaph continues his plea for God to deal with wicked men in Psalm 83:
Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! 2 For behold, Your enemies make a [a]tumult; And those who hate You have [b]lifted up their head. … 9 Deal with them as with Midian … 13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind!
Contact churchofgodslove4@gmail.com if you want to see article considering whether there are ‘lesser gods’ or other ‘gods’ over the nations.