Texts in Conversation
The Greek Septuagint translation of Psalm 81 addresses the divine council as gods and children of the Most High. Jesus quotes this in John when accused of blasphemy, arguing that if Israel could be called gods, calling himself God’s Son is no blasphemy.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Psalms 81:6
Septuagint
3 Judge the orphan and poor: do justice to the low and needy. 4 Rescue the needy, and deliver the poor out of the hand of the sinner. 5 They do not know, nor understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth shall be shaken. 6 I have said, You are gods; and all of you children of the Most High. 7 But you die as men, and fall as one of the princes.
John 10:34
New Testament
33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy because you, a man, are claiming to be God.” 34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
Search:
Notes and References
"... The Johannine Jesus answers the accusation that he has made himself God (10:33) by citing Psalm 82:6 (81:6 the Septuagint), giving scriptural backing for his claim to be God’s Son: "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’" (10:34). Jesus then interprets the verse as follows: "If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ -- and the scripture cannot be annulled - can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?" (10:35-36). Most contemporary exegetes understand John’s citation of Psalm 82 against a midrashic background which refers to the giving of the Torah at Sinai: receiving the Torah made the Israelites holy and therefore immortal like gods. On account of sin, however, Israel inherited death. The Johannine Jesus cites Psalm 82:6a in order to recall all of 82:6-7 via metalepsis. ..."
Baron, Lori Ann Robinson
The Shema in John’s Gospel Against its Backgrounds in Second Temple Judaism
(pp. 353-354) Duke University, 2015
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,