Psalm 82 humans may and can be gods facing death, by constraining the wicked

Guide: Old Testament OJB (Orthodox Jewish Bible), text I emphasize in green; NIV in magenta; footnotes to OJB in superscript sky blue; discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. 

 Chief concerns and possible insights, updated on 8/10/2025:

1.     This OJB chapter of Psalm seems problematic to both CJB and NIV regarding gods facing death (my interpretation). See comments at V1.

What the text seems to say:

1.     V 1 Addresses Elohim vs elohim with note to V6.

2.     Classifies humans as wicked (V2) then (V3) poor and orphans; afflicted and needy. NIV interprets “needy” as “oppressed”

a.      V 4 blames the wicked

b.     I perceive plea, yet no relief from the wicked – no urge to civic citizens

3.     V5 the elohim (humankind) neither know nor understand and the earth is shaken.

a.      V6 elohim are of The God.

b.     V7 but elohim will die like any man and one of the rulers.

c.      It follows that if elohim will provide relief, they must constrain the wicked.

4.     V8 may be the musician’s plea for reform to every nation on earth.

a.      The change back to “E” may admit that the musician is addressing the Doctrinal God of Israel and urging Elohim to control other peoples.

b.     NIV uses “God” in V1 but then in “O God” expresses doubt in The God’s awareness. I think it is arrogant for a writer to doubt The God’s opinion, whatever it is.

My interpretation:

1.     I think Psalm 82 suggests that Homo sapiens are gods facing death.

2.     Everyone who allows poverty, orphans, affliction such as ignorance, and oppression is wicked.

3.     However, humankind does not accept these responsibilities.

4.     The musician begs The God to take charge.

5.     The text suggests neither resurrection nor reincarnation.

6.     I do not think the slights by each NIV and CJB are innocent.

a.      They are the products of divinity school competition.

b.     Divinity schools may and can reform, in order to promote

                                                             i.      Homo sapiens’s responsibility to necessary goodness rather than to “what we believe”.

                                                           ii.      Embracing duty rather than freedom and liberty.

7.     I think Psalm 82 laments humankind’s failure to develop Genesis 1’s commission: pursue necessary goodness on earth.

a.      Justice applies to every person and every nation.

b.     Only when humankind accepts individual and collaborative responsibility for justice can the wicked on earth by constrained.

c.      The United States Constitution proffers a society that pursues good behavior.

                                                             i.      When most US citizens are civic, civil, and intend good behavior, other nations may and can develop similar controls of the wicked.

                                                           ii.      The necessary good is not always known, so the US Constitution, through amendment pursues statutory justice “to ourselves and our Posterity”, where “Posterity” includes legal immigrants.

 

Pslam 82, Orthodox Jewish Bible 

^1:1(Mizmor of Asaph. [master musician]) Elohim standeth in the Adat El; He judgeth among the elohim [See Ps 82:6 and Yn 10:34 [CJB: Yeshua answered them, “Isn’t it written in your Torah, ‘I have said, “You people are Elohim’ ”? NIV: Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’ CJB (1998) uses capital “E” and NIV (1973 omits death.)]].

² Ad mosai (How long) will ye judge unjustly, and show partiality to the resha’im wicked? Selah.

³ Defend the poor weak and yatom (fatherless); do justice to the oni (afflicted) and needy oppressed.

⁴ Deliver the poor and needy; rid them out of the yad resha’im hand of the wicked.

⁵ “The ‘gods’They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in choshech darkness; all the foundations of ha’aretz the earth are shaken.

⁶ I have said, elohim ye are; and all of you are Bnei HaElyon sons of the Most High.

⁷ But ye shall die like adam mere mortals, and fall like one of the sarim (princes) ruler.

⁸ Arise, Elohim O God, judge ha’aretz the earth; for Thou shalt inherit kol HaGoyim.

CJB V 8: Rise up, Elohim, and judge the earth; for all the nations are yours.

 

Psalm 82, NIV

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ God presides in the great assembly;
    he renders judgment among the “gods”:

² “How long will you^[a] defend the unjust
    and show partiality to the wicked?^[b]
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;
    uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵ “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
    They walk about in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶ “I said, ‘You are “gods”;
    you are all sons of the Most High.’
⁷ But you will die like mere mortals;
    you will fall like every other ruler.”

⁸ Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
    for all the nations are your inheritance.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
2. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

[Genesis 1:26-28, 31 OJB:

I read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, religiously referenced by Semite (pre-Israel) scribes of 3900 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28, in my paraphrase:  

Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to practice the power, authority, and responsibility to pursue necessary goodness and constrain evil on earth. Civic citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. 

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua the Nazarene affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, 31, contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (mutual spousal loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (pursue your personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (non-evil humans are gods -- facing death, as in Psalm 82:1,6-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”. Psalm 82 says nothing about resurrection.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil. Quoting OJB below,

And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz (the earth).

So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.

And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See note, below.

Accepting the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings choose necessary goodness to actual reality. The God affirms the goodness in V 31:

And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was tov me’od (very good).

Note: OJB uses “Elohim” in Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses “ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1. I use “The God, or whatever constrains human choice”, hoping to express humility; maybe I should change to “the god” to avoid the claim that worship and praise much less sacrifice are required.

Since monotheism is a human construct, I suggest the phrase, “the god, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and remaining unknowns about what constrains human choices.]