the gods will die
Psalm 82:1-8 (JDV)
Psalm 82:11 God stands in the god congregation; he pronounces judgment among the gods:
Psalm 82:2 “How long are you going to keep judging unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Psalm 82:3 Provide justice for the poor and the orphan; do right for the hurt and the needy.
Psalm 82:4 Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.”
Psalm 82:5 They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness. All the foundations of the land shift.
Psalm 82:6 I said, “You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.
Psalm 82:7 But you are going to die like Adam and fall like one of the princes.”
Psalm 82:8 Rise up, God, judge the land, because all the nations belong to you.
the gods will die
Most commentators are quick to put quotation marks around the word gods in this psalm. Some don’t ever translate the word. They take this as a prophecy against unjust human rulers. They claim that Jesus implied this in John 10:34-35. But Jesus only claimed that the subjects of this psalm heard the words of God, not that they were human. This psalm is a lament, pleading for God to judge the earth (8), and rescue it from the gods who are destroying it by ruling it selfishly. These gods are demonic beings who are abusing their power by showing partiality to the wicked, not giving justice to the weak and fatherless, and not rescuing the weak and needy (3-4). These sons of the Most High had been appointed as gods among men, but God is going to remove them from their thrones, and destroy them. Like Adam, they will die, and fall like any prince (7). They are not immortal like God is. Only God is immortal.
LORD, thank you for your plan to remove false gods from your universe.
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For a full commentary on this psalm, see:
Psalm 82 (a verse-by-verse commentary)
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