Does Psalm 82 mean there is more than one God?

Question

Psalm 82 verse one says: "God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods."

Actually the entire Psalm is very confusing to me, it's almost like a prophecy to the coming of Christ. Does any one know the meaning?

Answer 1

Yep! You got it!


NOTICE THAT THE GODS REFERRED TO ARE WITH A SMALL g!

That indicates pseudo gods --not really THE GOD.

Answer 2

No.
More importantly, I would like to share with you the Truth about the afterlife. I only tell you this because I care what will happen to you when you die. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, used God’s name in vain? These are just a few of God’s Moral Laws. When you die, God will judge you on the basis of His Moral Law. If you stand guilty before God of breaking His Laws, He will send you to Hell. If God is Just and Holy, He must punish lawbreakers. The good news is that God provided a way for you to be forgiven and go to Heaven. Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose again to pay the debt for your sins and take your punishment. What you must do is Repent, which means to say you are sorry to God and turn away from your sins. Then put your complete Trust in Jesus Christ. Only then will you be accepted into Heaven, not because you’re a good person, but because you’re a bad person who’s been forgiven. Please give this some thought. Your Eternal Destination depends on it.

Answer 3

As idolatry was common in those days, God says...
"You like there other gods? OK. If they are so strong and mighty, let them stand up to me!! I am going to judge them...
"Look at what they are making you do? Judge unjustly... Accept the wicked....
"Your suppose to be defending the fatherless, doing justice, delivering the poor. Instead your wasting your time on these idols...
"They don't know anything, they can't do anything, they're nothing but darkess. No wonder the whole world is so upside down...
"But I have called you to be like me. To be my children. And instead you are dying like more men, and falling like defeated generals."

Then the writer of the psalm cries out, "Arise, God, and judge the earth. For you shall inherit all nations."

Answer 4

God stands in the congregation of the mighty (angels) and he judges among the gods - elsewhere God calls men "gods" as in little "g" - small, lesser.

Indeed of all God's earthly creations, mankind is a kind of god - being superior to all life forms (animals and such) there is ON EARTH and is man's domain.

Answer 5

Don't forget that when G-d brought the Jews out of Egypt.

And Jethro said: 'Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

18:11
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly against them.'


I would like to add to some peoples comments:

ONE HEWBREW doesn't have a lower case and upper case, so any statement that a name is not a proper name because the ENGLISH is in lower cases is wrong.

TWO ancient languaged didn't even have vowells let alone "quotation marks" so I some how doubt G-d did the AIR QUOTES when he was saying "gods"

Answer 6

The Psalm clearly is meant to show that there are 82 Gods. They take it in turn to have a religion invented for them.

Answer 7

that's a mistranslation...the Hebrew word is one which ised as a name for god, but also a generic word for ruler or judge.



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Book Title Judaica Press Complete Tanach



1. A song of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges He will judge.

rashi
God stands in the congregation of God to see whether they [the judges] judge fairly, and you judges, how long will you judge unjustly?

Answer 8

No, the verse is refering to the congregation of the saints of God.
He calls the saints gods with a little 'g'. The saints are made in the image of God, are to become like 'He is". In the book of Revelation, God has council of the saints who will stand in His council to judge the nations. In fact your on the right track in regards to the Psalm being about Christ Jesus. He is God, and those who are followers will be like He is, as gods.

Not gods as in that they have power unto themselves to be like God, but will have the incarnate God (Holy Spirit) dwelling in them.

Answer 9

I can see where this would be very easy to misunderstand. Like all of the Bible it helps to take the historical context into consideration to best understand it. Most of the Psalms were written by David, King of Israel. At that time, Israel was surrounded by nations such as Edom, Canaan and Babylon that prayed to heathen gods. In this Psalm David is simply stating that God is the only one with power and that the idols of the heathen nations are all false. He emphasizes this by stating that all of the idols and their worshipers will fall because of God's holy judgment on them. David then contrasts the One True God to the heathen idols even more by talking about His benevolence. He specifically points out how God's divine love and wisdom allow and teach us to overcome our selfish instincts and to help one another. This is in drastic contrast to the pagan practice of human (especially infant) sacrifice to their idols. Then David closes by using their own beliefs againsgt them, stating that they are not gods but men who will die and be judged in the end by God who is creator and ruler of all.

Answer 10

That verse is talking about godlike ones, angels.

Read Psalm 83:18. Only one god! There are many verses that say the same!

John 10:34 Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “YOU are gods”’?

1 Corinthians 8:5 For even though there are those who are called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,”



loj

Answer 11

I am not a religious person, so maybe I can give you some unbiased insight:

Actually references to gods (plural) appear in many places in the bible. I could not find it, but there is a scripture in one version that says something like, “Do not worship these gods”. I am pretty sure the bible was referring to the Roman gods.

The bible never says that other gods do not exist. However, it does not personify them, as it does Yahweh (almighty GOD). Perhaps the other gods should be in quotes.