Psalms 82:2
1012
in the midst of the gods he renders judg-

ment.
82:2 He says, “How long will you make
unjust legal decisions
and show favoritism to the wicked?
(Selah)
82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the
fatherless!
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!
82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!
Deliver them from the power of the
wicked!
82:5 They neither know nor understand.
They stumble around in the dark,
while all the foundations of the earth
crumble.
82:6 I thought,10 ‘You are gods;
all of you are sons of the Most High.’11
82:7 Yet you will die like mortals;12
you will fall like all the other rulers.”13
Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, de-
nounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces
their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along
these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.
 sn The present translation assumes that the Hebrew
term ‫’( אֱ ל ִֹהים‬elohim, “gods”) here refers to the pagan gods
who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Ca-
naanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the
psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers
(‫ אֱ ל ִֹהים‬sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see
Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (‫ אֱ ל ִֹהים‬some-
times refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).
 sn The picture of God rendering judgment among the
gods clearly depicts his sovereign authority as universal king
(see v. 8, where the psalmist boldly affirms this truth).
 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to
indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision
(see v. 1).
 tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”
 tn The Hebrew noun ‫( יָתוֹם‬yatom) refers to one who has
lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Be-
cause they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited,
fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the
oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job
6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
 tn Heb “hand.”
 sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks
to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in
the third person.
 tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative ac-
tion, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around
in the darkness.
 sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect
their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist
compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in wide-
spread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world
(the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth
crumble).
10 tn Heb “said.”
11 sn Normally in the OT the title Most High belongs to the
God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological over-
tones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high
god El (see v. 1, as well as Isa 14:13).
12 tn Heb “men.” The point in the context is mortality, how-
ever, not maleness.
sn You will die like mortals. For the concept of a god losing
immortality and dying, see Isa 14:12-15, which alludes to a
pagan myth in which the petty god “Shining One, son of the
Dawn,” is hurled into Sheol for his hubris.
13 tn Heb “like one of the rulers.” The comparison does not
necessarily imply that they are not rulers. The expression “like
one of” can sometimes mean “as one of” (Gen 49:16; Obad
82:8 Rise up, O God, and execute judg-
ment on the earth!
For you own14 all the nations.
Psalm 8315
A song, a psalm of Asaph.
83:1 O God, do not be silent!
Do not ignore us!16 Do not be inactive, O
God!
83:2 For look, your enemies are making a
commotion;
those who hate you are hostile.17
83:3 They carefully plot18 against your
people,
and make plans to harm19 the ones you
cherish.20
83:4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate
them so they are no longer a nation!21
Then the name of Israel will be remem-
bered no more.”
83:5 Yes,22 they devise a unified strategy;23
they form an alliance24 against you.
83:6 It includes25 the tents of Edom and
the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,26
83:7 Gebal,27 Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.28
83:8 Even Assyria has allied with them,
lending its strength to the descendants of
Lot.29 (Selah)
83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian30 –
11) or “as any other of” (Judg 16:7, 11).
14 tn The translation assumes that the Qal of ‫ָחל‬ ַ ‫( נ‬nakhal)
here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect em-
phasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the
verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations”
(cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).
15 sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from
the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated
Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays
that the hostile nations would be humiliated.
16 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
17 tn Heb “lift up [their] head[s].” The phrase “lift up [the]
head” here means “to threaten; to be hostile,” as in Judg
8:28.
18 tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”
19 tn Heb “and consult together against.”
20 tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb ‫( צָ פַ ן‬tsafan, “to
hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”
21 tn Heb “we will cause them to disappear from [being] a
nation.”
22 tn Or “for.”
23 tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”
24 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
25 tn The words “it includes” are supplied in the translation
for stylistic reasons.
26 sn The Hagrites are also mentioned in 1 Chr 5:10, 19-
20.
27 sn Some identify Gebal with the Phoenician coastal city
of Byblos (see Ezek 27:9, where the name is spelled differ-
ently), though others locate this site south of the Dead Sea
(see BDB 148 s.v. ‫ ; ְּג ַבל‬HALOT 174 s.v. ‫) ְּג ַבל‬.
28 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1;
JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
29 tn Heb “they are an arm for the sons of Lot.” The “arm” is
here a symbol of military might.
sn The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and Ammo-
nites.
30 tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”