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Psalms Chapter 82 - King James Version King James Version » Psalms » Chapter 82

1(A Psalm of Asaph.) God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.8Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

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Notice is Psalm 82, the theme is righteous judgement. Verses 1, 2, and 3 use either the words judge or justice and verse describes (without using those words) an act of judging. Verses 5-7 are God's lament that his human judges (unfortunately, translated as "gods" in the KJV) have fallen short and will suffer the consequences with verse 8 praising God as the rightful head and judge of the entire earth.

The word "elohim" which is translated here as "gods" was used of human judges in Exodus (21:6 and 22:8,9). If you read Psalm 82 with idea of human judges the whole passage makes perfect sense. Your interpretation makes no contextual sense. Particularly, when combined with other explicit texts where God says there are no other gods. ("Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me." Isaiah 43:10 or "Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none." Isaiah 44:8).