Psalms

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Psalm 82

1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.⁠ 2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked?⁠ (Selah)⁠ 3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.⁠ 4 Rescue the poor and needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked.⁠ 5 They neither know nor understand. They stumble around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble. 6 I thought, ‘You are gods; all of you are sons of the Most High.’⁠ 7 Yet you will die like mortals; you will fall like all the other rulers.” 8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth! For you own all the nations.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7 and Psalm 82:1

Ancient Near East, Babylonian · Hebrew Bible

Summary

Psalm 82 and Gilgamesh describe a divine council, a bureaucratic assembly of gods who govern the world. In Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim gains a place among them after the flood, and in Psalm 82 the high God rebukes the other gods for ruling unjustly.

Passages

Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7

Ancient Near East, Babylonian

1 Gilgameš spoke to him, to Ūta-napišti the Far-Away. 2 ‘As I look at you, Ūta-napišti, 3 your form is not different, you are just like me, 4 you are not different at all, you are just like me. 5 I was fully intent on doing battle with you, 6 [but] in your presence my hand is held back. 7 How was it you attended the gods’ assembly, and found life?’ 8 Ūta-napišti spoke to him, to Gilgameš: 9 ‘I will disclose to you, Gilgameš, a secret matter, 10 and I will tell you a mystery of the gods.

2100 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Psalm 82:1

Hebrew Bible

1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment. 2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... Divine council scenes in ancient Near Eastern texts are the location for discussion, decision making, and vital activities of the gods (such as creation). In Mesopotamian texts there are numerous references to divine council scenes. Almost all of the key events and decisions in Enuma elish, for example, are discussed, planned, and affirmed in the context of a council of gods. Similarly, in response to the crisis created by the refusal of the Igigi to continue their hard labor, the gods gather in the assembly In Atrahasis to discuss the issue and create a solution. In Ugaritic texts also, the gods gather in the divine council or the council of El for comparable activities. For example, there is an extended narrative set in the divine council in the Baal Cycle (KTU l.2.1; compare 1.4). The gods are also depicted gathering in an assembly to decree their judgment on humanity in the Balaam texts from Deir 'Alla. These depictions of divine council scenes from other ancient Near Eastern texts provide the cultural context for understanding the council scene presented in Psalm 82 ..."

James M. Trotter, Death of the Elohim in Psalm 82 (Journal of Biblical Literature, no. 2, 2012), 221–239.

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

Psalms150 psalms

Compare Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7 and Psalm 82:1

Summary

Passages

Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7

Psalm 82:1

References

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