82 A Psalm of Asaph.
82:1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”1
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
Section Overview
Some call this psalm a community lament, since it addresses God directly with a request on behalf of his 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, for psalms do not always fit neatly in only one category.
In the first section of the psalm God speaks to the “gods,” explaining their proper task (vv. 1–4). Then the Lord offers his evaluation of how these “gods” have performed: they have failed (vv. 5–7). The psalm finishes with a prayer for the true God to “judge the earth” (v. 8). The prayer to “judge” in verse 8 echoes the same term in verses 1–3 (“judgment,” “judge,” and “give justice”).
Section Outline
I. The Task of the “Gods” (82:1–4)
II. The “Gods” Who Fail in Their Task (82:5–7)
III. Prayer That the True God Would Judge the Earth (82:8)
Response
A priest might have found this psalm especially suited to a time in which God’s people were dominated by unjust rulers, whether Gentile overlords or (even worse) fellow Hebrews. Singing this 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; 1 Cor. 1:26–28), to take courage in the face of unjust rule so that they would 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 for the service of 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 so 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 Proverbs 31:1–9 shows that this kind of justice is applicable to all mankind, as this is what properly functioning human nature looks like everywhere (cf. comment on 82:1–4). Christians should therefore pray that even secular governing authorities would abide by principles of true justice.Psalm 82
Psalm 83