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Psalms 82

8 verses

TL;DR

Psalm 82 calls divine judges to defend the poor and condemns their unjust actions, while reminding humanity of its mortality and God's ultimate sovereignty.

Summary

In Psalm 82, God stands among divine judges and reproaches them for ruling unjustly and favoring the wicked. The psalm exhorts them to defend the poor, fatherless, and needy, urging justice for those in distress. It then describes how these judges, though called gods and children of the Most High, will ultimately die like mortals. The psalm concludes with a call for God to arise and judge the earth, affirming God's inheritance over all nations.

Outline
  1. Divine judges condemned for injustice
  2. Command to defend the poor
  3. Judges’ mortality and divine nature
  4. Call for God to judge the earth
Themes
Divine justiceHuman accountabilityMortality of earthly powersGod’s sovereignty
Keywords
justicejudgmentpoorfatherlessafflictedneedygodgodsMost Highearth
People
Godthe gods (judges)the Most High
Places
earth
Things
poorfatherlessafflictedneedyjusticejudgmentgodsMost High
Key Verses
  • Psalms 82:2: Highlights the unjust judgment of the divine judges.
  • Psalms 82:3: Emphasizes the call to defend the vulnerable.
  • Psalms 82:7: Reveals the mortality of those called gods.
Questions
  • What does Psalm 82 reveal about the relationship between divine authority and human justice?
  • How does the psalm's depiction of the judges as 'gods' challenge our understanding of divine versus earthly power?
  • In what ways can the psalm’s call to defend the poor be applied in contemporary social contexts?
  • Why does the psalm emphasize the mortality of the judges, and what theological implications does this have?
Sentiment

mixed
Critique of unjust judges (negative) balanced by hopeful call for divine justice (positive).