Click here to read PSALM 82 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 82 is in the Leviticus book of the Psalms (73—89). The Old Testament book of Leviticus focuses on matters in the sanctuary: the priesthood, ceremonial laws, and feasts. Almost all of these 17 Psalms mention the sanctuary and God’s relation to it. Psalms 80, 81, and 82 show God in the sanctuary.
This Psalm has the title “of Asaph.” Psalm 50 in the Exodus book of the Psalms also has this title. There are 11 Psalms (73-83) with this title in the Leviticus book of Psalms. Regarding Asaph, Nehemiah 7:44 speaks of “The singers: the children of Asaph.” They were responsible for worship in the Temple. For further study on Asaph, see II Kings 18:18,37; I Chronicles 6:39; 9:15; 15:17,19; 16:5,7,37; 25:1,2,6,9; 26:1; II Chronicles 5:12; 20:14; 29:13,30; 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Nehemiah 2:8; 7:44; 11:17,22; 12:35,46; Psalms 50:1; 73:1; 74:1; 75:1; 76:1; 77:1; 78:1; 79:1; 80:1; 81:1; 82:1; 83:1; Isaiah 36:3,22.
This Psalm is divided into two sections by the Hebrew term “Selah,” which means to pause. Some Bible teachers say this connected the truths that come before and after the term.
Structure
(Verse 1) God is Judge over all
(Verse 2) Man’s wicked judgment
Pause
(Verses 3-7) Man’s wicked judgment
(Verse 8) God will judge all nations
Key Scriptures
Verse 1—“ God…judgeth among the gods.” The Hebrew word for “gods” is Elohim, which is usually reserved for the Creator. However, it is also used of people who take on authority that is given by God. Exodus 7:1: “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.” Exodus 21:6: “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges [Elohim]….” Exodus 22:8,9,28: “brought unto the judges…” “both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn…” “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.” (The Apostle Paul quotes Exodus 22:28 in Acts 23:5.)
Verse 2—“accept the persons of the wicked.” Literally, the Hebrew says to not “lift up the face” of anyone. This refers to bribery and showing favoritism in judgment. This was sternly forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 27:25; Psalms 15:5; Proverbs 18:5; I Samuel 8:3; 12:3; Job 15:34; Psalms 26:10; Isaiah 33:15; Amos 5:12). Judges were to be true and honest. Exodus 18:21: “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons.”
Verse 5—“ all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” They slip and slide. Without God’s true foundation in Jesus Christ, all is built upon sand. Matthew 7:26: “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” I Corinthians 3:11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 2:20: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
Verse 6—“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” This is one of the great scriptures that Jesus Christ had memorized. He boldly spoke it when confronted by his religious enemies. Look at the context in which he used this wonderful truth from the Psalms.
John 10:30-38:
I and my Father are one [in authority].
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself [equal with] God.
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods [Elohim], unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
Jesus Christ claimed to have the full authority that his Father gave him as the Messiah. This infuriated the religious leaders who did not recognize the true Messiah. Jesus’ religious foes were upset because he was declaring the authority God gave him. So Jesus Christ answered with perfect precision, rightly dividing the Old Testament scriptures. He said, “If God called the Old Testament judges ‘gods’ to whom He gave His Word, am I speaking wrongly by saying I am the Son of God?” Jesus’ works proved that he was in the Father and the Father was in him.
This is similar to another encounter in John 5.
John 5:17-19:
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal [in authority] with God.
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
The religious leaders said that Jesus Christ made himself equal in authority with God, since he claimed to be the Messiah. But Jesus said that he could do nothing of himself. It was the Father who gave him the power and strength to carry out his mission on earth.
It was this humility that gained Jesus Christ the greatest position of all time. Philippians 2:6-11: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
