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 82:6 and Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 124.2

Hebrew Bible · Early Christian

Summary

Psalm 82 addresses the divine council as gods and children of the Most High. Justin Martyr quotes the psalm to Trypho and argues that anyone who keeps God’s commandments are children of God, connecting it with Adam and Eve's failure.

Passages

Psalm 82:6

Hebrew Bible

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.”

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 124.2

Early Christian

2 The words were spoken through David, and in your translation they read this way: ‘God stands in the assembly of gods; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly and show favor to the wicked? Judge for the orphan and the poor, and do justice to the lowly and needy. Rescue the needy, and save the poor from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor have they understood; they walk on in darkness; all the foundations of the earth shall be shaken. I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But you die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all the nations.’

155–160 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho

References

"... Christian exegetes from the second and early third centuries offered a multifaceted interpretation of the titles "gods" and "children" in Psalm 81. Some emphasized the universal dimension of these titles, bestowed on humanity at creation: for Justin, since all human beings were indistinctly endowed with the possibility of becoming "gods" and "children of God" if they keep God’s commandments, every one of them will be judged by God like Adam and Eve if by breaking the commandments they do not fulfil this possibility. Other exegetes, such as Clement of Alexandria, stressed the element of worthiness, presenting the titles of "gods" and "children" in Psalm 81:1,6 as attained by exceptionally progressed individuals, rather than as originally attributed to all of humanity, at least as potential. ..."

Sara Contini, “‘You Are Gods’ (Ps 81:6): Jerome and the Legacy of Origen’s Anthropology,” Open Theology 7 (2021): 229.

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 82:6 and Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 124.2

Summary

Passages

Psalm 82:6

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 124.2

References

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