LXX Psalms

Septuagint

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Psalm 81

1 A Psalm for Asaph. God stands in the assembly of gods; and in the midst of them will judge gods.⁠ 2 How long will you judge unrighteously, and take the faces of sinners?⁠ Pause. 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. 8 Arise, God, judge the earth: for you shall inherit all nations.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Psalms 81:6 and John 10:34

Septuagint · New Testament

Summary

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.

Passages

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.

100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

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’?

90–110 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in John

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. ..."

Lori Ann Robinson Baron, The Shema in John’s Gospel Against its Backgrounds in Second Temple Judaism (Duke University, 2015), 353–354.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

LXX Psalms151 psalms

Compare LXX Psalms 81:6 and John 10:34

Summary

Passages

LXX Psalms 81:6

John 10:34

References

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