PsalmsChapter 82

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A psalm of Asaph. God takes his stand in the assembly of God; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment:

"How long will you judge unjustly and lift up the face of the wicked? Selah

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the afflicted and the destitute.

Rescue the poor and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

They neither know nor understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.

Yet you will die like mere men; you will fall like any prince."

Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for you shall inherit all the nations.

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Summary2

Chapter 82

Main Theme: God judges the divine beings who have failed in their responsibility for justice.

Content: God stands in His divine assembly and holds judgment over "gods" (elohim). He accuses them of judging unjustly and favoring the wicked, instead of protecting the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Because they walk in darkness and fail in their calling, they shall die like humans. The psalm concludes with a prayer that God Himself will arise and judge all the earth.

Key Words/Images:

Assembly of God (עֲדַת־אֵל): The heavenly council where God reigns as supreme Judge.
Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): Divine beings or judges entrusted with upholding justice on earth.
The Weak (דַּל, יָתוֹם, עָנִי): The poor, the fatherless, and the oppressed whom the judges were meant to protect.
Die like humans: The warning that even divine beings lose their status through injustice.

Historical context

Key Concepts

Psalm 82 contains several Hebrew key terms that require special attention. The word אֱלֹהִים (elohim) is used in two ways in this psalm: In verse 1 and verse 8, it refers to the God of Israel, while in the middle of verse 1 and in verse 6, it is applied to other beings in the heavenly assembly. The expression בַּעֲדַת־אֵל (ba'adat-el, "in the divine council") describes a heavenly court where God presides as supreme judge. The term בְּנֵי עֶלְיוֹן (bene elyon, "sons of the Most High") in verse 6 designates these heavenly beings as God's "children" with delegated authority.

Events and Customs

The concept of a heavenly assembly where God sits in judgment over other divine beings has clear parallels in the surrounding ancient Near Eastern culture. In Ugaritic texts from the second millennium BCE, the god El is described as the head of a council of gods. In Mesopotamian texts, we find similar scenes where the gods gather to make decisions. However, the psalm radically transforms this motif: The other "gods" are not independent powers but subordinate beings held accountable by the God of Israel. Their task was to ensure justice for the vulnerable in society—the weak (dal), the fatherless (yatom), the helpless (ani), the poor (rash), and the needy (evyon)—categories that recur throughout Old Testament social ethics and law.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Ugaritic texts from Ras Shamra (discovered from 1929 onward) have provided valuable background for understanding Psalm 82. These texts describe "El's assembly" (pḫr 'ilm) and the "sons of the gods" (bn 'ilm) in terms that closely resemble the language of the psalm. This shows that the psalmist employed familiar religious vocabulary from his time, but with a polemical purpose: to demonstrate that these so-called gods are mortal beings under the God of Israel, who alone holds absolute power over all nations (verse 8).

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Key words7

God — The Almighty Creator who, according to Genesis, created the heavens, the earth, and all life.
Assembly — A group of people gathered to worship God and listen to his word.
Son of God — A term referring to angels or heavenly beings who are close to God and serve him.
Judges — Persons with authority to judge and make decisions on behalf of God and the people.
Righteousness — The principle of acting in accordance with God's will and morality, including fair treatment of others.
Foundations of the world — The concept referring to the foundation upon which the world is built, both physically and spiritually.
Inherit — To receive something, especially property or status, from a parent or ancestor after their death.