Psalm 82:1

 Psalm 82:1

God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

a. ASV: God standeth in the congregation of God; He judgeth among the gods. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: God hath stood in the company of God, In the midst God doth judge.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: God stands in the assembly [of the representatives] of God; in the midst of the magistrates or judges He gives judgment [as] among the gods.   [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Tehillim/Psalms: God stands in the assembly of God, in the midst of the judges, shall He judge. [THE ARTSCROLL TANACH SERIES TEHILLIM / PSALMS PERSONAL SIZE EDITION VOL.1 Ⓒ Copyright 1977, 1985, 1996 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

f. Septuagint: God stands in the assembly of gods; and in the midst [of them] will judge gods. [Elpenor's Bilingual (Greek / English) Old Testament, English translation by L.C.L. Brenton]

g. Peshitta Eastern Text: God stands in the congregation of angels; he judges among the angels. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

1. “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty…”

a. God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]

b. standeth [Strong: 5324 nâtsab, naw-tsab'; a primitive root; to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively):—appointed, deputy, erect, establish, × Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state.]

c. [in the] congregation [Strong: 5712 ʻêdâh, ay-daw'; feminine of H5707 in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd):—assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm.]

d. [of the] mighty [Strong: 410  ʼêl, ale; shortened from H352; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):—God (god), × goodly, × great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.]

1). Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: God] Originally no doubt Jehovah, for which the Elohistic editor has substituted Elôhîm. standeth] Or, taketh his stand: solemnly takes His place as president. Cp. Isaiah 3:13 a; Amos 7:7; Amos 9:1. In the congregation of the mighty] I.e., as P.B.V., of princes. But we must rather render, in the assembly of God (El), i.e., not the congregation of Israel, though this is called the congregation of Jehovah (Numbers 27:17; cp. Psalm 74:2), but an assembly summoned and presided over by God in His capacity of Almighty Ruler. he judgeth &c.] In the midst of gods (Elôhîm) will he judge. According to the view adopted above, the judges and authorities of Israel are meant by gods. It might indeed be supposed that the poet intended to represent God as holding His court surrounded by angels, like an earthly king in the midst of his courtiers (cp. 1 Kings 22:19; Job 1:2); and so probably the Syriac translator understood the verse: “God standeth in the assembly of the angels, and in the midst of the angels will He judge.” But Elôhîm can hardly have a different meaning from that which it has in Psalm 82:6, where it clearly refers to the judges who are put on their trial; and the address in Psalm 82:2 would be unintelligible if the persons addressed had not already been mentioned.

2).  Jesus' own words backs up the above argument in his dispute with the Jewish leaders concerning this psalm and whom it is speaking to and about.

a). John 10:32-35 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

10:33 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 God.

10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

3). On the other hand Psalm 82:6, 7 seems to add another light and another facet.

a). Psalm 82:6, 7 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

b). This I believe refers to angels which are called sons of God in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1. In the next verse he declares that though they are children of the most high they shall die like men. At the fall of Lucifer one third of the angels rebelled with him, and another unknown number of that one third committed the additional crime of cohabitating with human woman. That is why some of the one third are bound and some are not, because the ones that committed the additional sin of cohabitating with women died.

c). Jude 6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

(1) first estate [Strong: 746 arche ar-khay' from 756; (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank):--beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.] [Zodhiates: (In Jude 6, “angels who did not keep their own eminence” [a.t.] or original status).] [Ben Adam, Origin of Heathendom: “The Ephesisan context is clear as to these ‘principalities’ being companies of angels occupying positions of great  power and authority among the world rulers in the heavenly places; and we learn from Jude 6 that a portion of them failed to keep their position…in the heavenlies.]

d). This same Greek word is used to describe angelic position of principality.

(1) Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

e). It was this position that the angels that fornicated with human women left.

(1) Jude 6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

4). There are two classes of fallen angels. Some are loose, and some are bound.

 

a). Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found in heaven anymore in heaven.

12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

                         

b). 2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

 

5). God is no respecter of persons, if they all fell, why are some in hell and some still loosed? The additional sin that some fallen angels committed was having sex with human women, and giants were the result.

 

a). Genesis 6:1-4 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them. 

6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 

6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that his also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

 

b). In Deuteronomy 3:11 Og, king of Bashan’s bed was “…nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.” [Unger’s Bible Dictionary: cubit=18 inches.] Hence, his bed was 13 1/2 feet long and 6 feet wide. In 1 Samuel 17:4 Goliath was 9 feet and 9 inches tall.

 

 c). Only the angels that are bound [2 Peter 2:4], committed the additional sin of sex with human women. Originally there was only one group of fallen angels that followed Satan in his rebellion, but part of that same group committed the additional sin of sexual relations with women and for that additional sin they were bound.

2. “...he judgeth among the gods.”

a. [he] judgeth [Strong: 8199 shâphaṭ, shaw-fat'; a primitive root; to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or figuratively):— avenge, × that condemn, contend, defend, execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), × needs, plead, reason, rule.]

b. among [Strong: 7130 qereb, keh'-reb; from H7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition):—× among, × before, bowels, × unto charge, eat (up), × heart, × him, × in, inward (× -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, out of, purtenance, × therein, × through, × within self.]

c. [the] gods [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]