Psalm 82
Psalm 82 constitutes a legal
process (cf. Ps 50, 58, 81, 91; Isa 3:13-4:1), in which God sues for law and
order in society. According to the Canaanite mythological precedent to this
scene, God is described as presiding over a pantheon, somewhat as El, the chief
deity, kept order among lesser gods charged with maintaining justice in the
world, but they failed miserably in their office, for which they are indicted
by God (vv. 1-5), judged unfit, and are sentenced to capital punishment, losing
their immortal status. In the present psalm the “divine council” or “gods” are
euphemisms for crooked judges or governors who by their office share God’s
responsibility to administer justice and protect the rights of the defenseless;
God indicts those charged with the maintenance of the social order (vv. 2-4).
The earth’s foundations are destabilized to the extent that these functionaries
are corrupt, “wandering about in darkness,” and do not fulfill their
commission. God condemns the guilty incompetents, and the punishment amounts to
the loss of their “divine” privilege; they will die like ordinary mortals (vv.
5-7). In conclusion, the psalmist requests that God assume his role as
universal judge and reestablish order in the international arena. (Konrad
Schaefer, “Psalms,” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First
Century, ed. John J. Collins, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior [3d ed.; London: T&T Clark, 2022], 693)
