Psalms 82 · ESV Study Bible

Rescue the Weak and Needy

PSALM 82 [†] m God n has taken his place in the divine council;

in the midst of p the gods he q holds judgment:

2[^] “How long will you judge unjustly

and r show partiality to s the wicked? Selah

3 t Give justice to u the weak and the fatherless;

v maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

4 w Rescue the weak and the needy;

x deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

5[†] y They have neither knowledge nor understanding,

z they walk about in darkness;

a all the foundations of the earth are b shaken.

6[^][†] c I said, “You are gods,

sons of the Most High, all of you;

7 nevertheless, like men d you shall die,

and fall like any prince.” [1]

8[†] e Arise, O God, judge the earth;

for you shall f inherit all the nations!

A Song. A Psalm of g Asaph.

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalm 82. Some call this a community lament since it addresses God directly with a request on behalf of the whole people (v. 8). Others call it a prophetical hymn (like Psalm 81), interpreting its address to the “gods” (82:6) as directed to unjust human rulers, whom God will judge. Both of these classifications have merit, which shows that one must use the psalm categories only as a rule of thumb, because the Psalms do not always fit neatly in only one category. Singing this psalm should enable the faithful, many of whom were socially weak and lowly in Israel (as often was the case with the early Christians as well; cf. 1 Cor. 1:26–28), to take courage in the face of unjust rule, so that they do not yield to the ever-present temptation to cooperate with the injustices of their wicked rulers. Even the most powerful rulers must die and face God’s final judgment. The song should also help those who hold social and political power to use that power in service to others, especially to protect those who are easiest to exploit. The people of God are called to aspire to be an ideal society, with their justice visible to all peoples, that all nations might come to know the true God (Deut. 4:5–8); Christians are called to the same aspiration for their own present society. They must also testify about God’s justice to their wider culture, since, as Prov. 31:1–9 shows (see note there), this kind of justice is applicable to all mankind; this is what properly functioning human nature looks like everywhere.

PSALM—NOTE ON 82:1 in the divine council; in the midst of the gods. Many would take these terms in vv. 1 and 6 as describing the assembly of angelic beings who surround God’s throne as a divine court (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Job 1:6; 2:1). This finds support in the way that the title “sons of the Most High” matches the label “sons of God” in Job; cf. also the “heavenly beings” (or “gods”) in Ps. 8:5 (see note there). On the other hand, these “gods” are said to “judge” among men (82:2–4) and to die like men (v. 7); God is to judge the earth and to inherit the nations (where mankind lives, v. 8). This makes it better to see these as human rulers, who hold their authority as representatives of the true God (and therefore deserve respect; cf. 58:1; Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Pet. 2:13–17). Of course this does not require ultimate loyalty that overrides faithfulness to God, or that silences testimony about God’s justice, as this very psalm makes clear. Jesus seems to have read the psalm in this way, since in John 10:34–35 he cites Ps. 82:6, describing the “gods” as those to whom the word of God came, which means they were human. See also note on v. 6.

PSALM—NOTE ON 82:1–4 The Task of the “Gods.” The first section gives the job description of human rulers (the gods), especially those who rule God’s covenant people: they are to give justice to the weak and the fatherless, and rescue the weak and the needy … from the hand of the wicked (vv. 3–4). Far too often, however, they judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked (i.e., people who take the lead in opposing God’s purpose and oppressing others). The words of the psalm do not specify whether the rulers are Israelites, or Gentiles ruling Israel as a subject state (as in the Babylonian or Persian Empires). Both the ideal Davidic king in Psalm 72 and the ideal Gentile ruler in Prov. 31:1–9 are called to protect the powerless from those who would oppress them. Certainly the people of God should aim to embody this most clearly.