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 Psalm 82:3 and Proverbs 31:9

Hebrew Bible

Summary

Psalm 82 describes the patron deities in the divine council failing to uphold justice, condemning them for favoring the unrighteous instead of defending the poor and oppressed. This echoes Proverbs 31, where rulers are told to speak for those who cannot.

Passages

Psalm 82:3

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. 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.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Proverbs 31:9

Hebrew Bible

7 let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. 8 Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying. 9 Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. 10 Who can find a wife of noble character? For her value is far more than rubies. 11 Her husband’s heart has trusted her, and he does not lack the dividends.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Proverbs

References

"... God is, in our text, 'standing up in council'; why is he not 'sitting,' as befits the leader of the divine assembly? Most likely, the term 'stand up' already suggests juridical action against the culprits (compare verse 8: 'rise up, God'; likewise in some psalms, e.g., 44:24-27). The divine council is a well-known institution in Ugaritic mythology. There, e.g., Baal stands up to give rousing speeches against his enemies (compare ANET, 130, 132 = Baal III, 10-13). The body of the psalm is taken up by direct address aimed at the 'gods' responsible for corrupted justice. The tenu špt pervades the whole psalm, from the first to the last line. The accusation ('how long?') happens because of chronic misjudgment in favor of the 'wicked' ones (verse 2b). This crime is demonstrated more clearly in a command to do justice (four imperatives in cross-position), which really implies only censure (verses 3-4). Surprisingly, we find the 'poor' and 'weak,' the social outcasts, in opposition to the 'wicked.' Unless the marginalized understand themselves in this psalm as the only legitimate community (Psalm 37), we have to explain this crucial juxtaposition. At this point we note a strong affinity of this censure with sapiential and D social ethos (compare 'lowly'; 'poor': Proverbs 10:15; 13:8, 23; 14:20, 31; 19:1, 7, 22; 21:13; 22:9; 'orphan'; 'miserable, poor': Deuteronomy 10:18; 15:4, 7, 9, 11; 16:11, 14; 24:12, 14, 15; 27:19; etc.). A very similar command to do what is right within an accusation is Isaiah 1:17 ..."

Erhard Gerstenberger, Psalms. Part 2, and Lamentations (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 113–114.

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 Psalm 82:3 and Proverbs 31:9

Summary

Passages

Psalm 82:3

Proverbs 31:9

References

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