Psalms 82:1-8

Psalm 82 ¹ 

A psalm of Asaph.

82:1 God stands in ²  the assembly of El; ³ 

in the midst of the gods ⁴  he renders judgment. ⁵ 

82:2 He says, ⁶  “How long will you make unjust legal decisions

and show favoritism to the wicked? ⁷  (Selah)

82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! ⁸ 

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!

82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!

Deliver them from the power ⁹  of the wicked!

82:5 They ¹⁰  neither know nor understand.

They stumble ¹¹  around in the dark,

while all the foundations of the earth crumble. ¹² 

82:6 I thought, ¹³  ‘You are gods;

all of you are sons of the Most High.’ ¹⁴ 

82:7 Yet you will die like mortals; ¹⁵ 

you will fall like all the other rulers.” ¹⁶ 

82:8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth!

For you own ¹⁷  all the nations.

Acts 19:34-35

19:34 But when they recognized ¹⁸  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ¹⁹  “Great is Artemis ²⁰  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ²¹  19:35 After the city secretary ²²  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ²³  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ²⁴  of the temple of the great Artemis ²⁵  and of her image that fell from heaven? ²⁶ 

Romans 1:21-28

1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts ²⁷  were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed ²⁸  to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings ²⁹  or birds or four-footed animals ³⁰  or reptiles.

1:24 Therefore God gave them over ³¹  in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor ³²  their bodies among themselves. ³³  1:25 They ³⁴  exchanged the truth of God for a lie ³⁵  and worshiped and served the creation ³⁶  rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

1:26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, ³⁷  1:27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women ³⁸  and were inflamed in their passions ³⁹  for one another. Men ⁴⁰  committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, ⁴¹  God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. ⁴² 

Romans 3:11

3:11 there is no one who understands,

there is no one who seeks God.

Romans 3:1

3:1 Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?

Colossians 1:24-26

1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. 1:25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship ⁴³  from God – given to me for you – in order to complete ⁴⁴  the word of God, 1:26 that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.

Revelation 13:13-16

13:13 He ⁴⁵  performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people ⁴⁶  13:14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told ⁴⁷  those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 13:15 The second beast ⁴⁸  was empowered ⁴⁹  to give life ⁵⁰  to the image of the first beast ⁵¹  so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 13:16 He also caused ⁵²  everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave ⁵³ ) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

Revelation 17:13

17:13 These kings ⁵⁴  have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

Revelation 17:17

17:17 For God has put into their minds ⁵⁵  to carry out his purpose ⁵⁶  by making ⁵⁷  a decision ⁵⁸  to give their royal power ⁵⁹  to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ⁶⁰ 

[82:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 82. The psalmist pictures God standing in the “assembly of El” where he accuses the “gods” of failing to promote justice on earth. God pronounces sentence upon them, announcing that they will die like men. Having witnessed the scene, the psalmist then asks God to establish his just rule over the earth.

[82:1]  ² tn Or “presides over.”

[82:1]  ³ tn The phrase עֲדַת אֵל (’adat ’el, “assembly of El”) appears only here in the OT. (1) Some understand “El” to refer to God himself. In this case he is pictured presiding over his own heavenly assembly. (2) Others take אֵל as a superlative here (“God stands in the great assembly”), as in Pss 36:6 and 80:10. (3) The present translation assumes this is a reference to the Canaanite high god El, who presided over the Canaanite divine assembly. (See Isa 14:13, where El’s assembly is called “the stars of El.”) In the Ugaritic myths the phrase ’dt ’ilm refers to the “assembly of the gods,” who congregate in King Kirtu’s house, where Baal asks El to bless Kirtu’s house (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). If the Canaanite divine assembly is referred to here in Ps 82:1, then the psalm must be understood as a bold polemic against Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, denounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.

[82:1]  ⁴ sn The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).

[82:1]  ⁵ sn The picture of God rendering judgment among the gods clearly depicts his sovereign authority as universal king (see v. 8, where the psalmist boldly affirms this truth).

[82:2]  ⁶ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1).

[82:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”

[82:3]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[82:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “hand.”

[82:5]  ¹⁰ sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.

[82:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.

[82:5]  ¹² sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in widespread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world (the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth crumble).

[82:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “said.”

[82:6]  ¹⁴ sn Normally in the OT the title Most High belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El (see v. 1, as well as Isa 14:13).

[82:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “men.” The point in the context is mortality, however, not maleness.

[82:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “like one of the rulers.” The comparison does not necessarily imply that they are not rulers. The expression “like one of” can sometimes mean “as one of” (Gen 49:16; Obad 11) or “as any other of” (Judg 16:7, 11).

[82:8]  ¹⁷ tn The translation assumes that the Qal of נָחַל (nakhal) here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect emphasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations” (cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).

[19:34]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:34]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).

[19:34]  ²⁰ sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus, 1.25 mi (2 km) northeast of the Grand Theater. Dimensions were 418 ft by 239 ft (125 m by 72 m) for the platform; the temple proper was 377 ft by 180 ft (113 m by 54 m). The roof was supported by 117 columns, each 60 ft (18 m) high by 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter. The Emperor Justinian of Byzantium later took these columns for use in construction of the Hagia Sophia, where they still exist (in modern day Istanbul).

[19:34]  ²¹ sn They all shouted…for about two hours. The extent of the tumult shows the racial and social tensions of a cosmopolitan city like Ephesus, indicating what the Christians in such locations had to face.

[19:35]  ²² tn Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateu") was the keeper of the city’s records.

[19:35]  ²³ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[19:35]  ²⁴ tn See BDAG 670 s.v. νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.

[19:35]  ²⁵ sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:35]  ²⁶ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[1:21]  ²⁷ tn Grk “heart.”

[1:22]  ²⁸ tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.

[1:23]  ²⁹ tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (afqarto", “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (fqarto", “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).

[1:23]  ³⁰ sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.

[1:24]  ³¹ sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.

[1:24]  ³² tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.

[1:24]  ³³ tn Grk “among them.”

[1:25]  ³⁴ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:25]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the lie.”

[1:25]  ³⁶ tn Or “creature, created things.”

[1:26]  ³⁷ tn Grk “for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is contrary to nature.” The term χρῆσις (crhsi") has the force of “sexual relations” here (L&N 23.65).

[1:27]  ³⁸ tn Grk “likewise so also the males abandoning the natural function of the female.”

[1:27]  ³⁹ tn Grk “burned with intense desire” (L&N 25.16).

[1:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “another, men committing…and receiving,” continuing the description of their deeds. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:28]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”

[1:28]  ⁴² tn Grk “the things that are improper.”

[1:25]  ⁴³ tn BDAG 697 s.v. οἰκονομία 1.b renders the term here as “divine office.”

[1:25]  ⁴⁴ tn See BDAG 828 s.v. πληρόω 3. The idea here seems to be that the apostle wants to “complete the word of God” in that he wants to preach it to every person in the known world (cf. Rom 15:19). See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 82.

[13:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:13]  ⁴⁶ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both men and women.

[13:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “earth, telling.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek.

[13:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “it”; the referent (the second beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:15]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “it was given [permitted] to it [the second beast].”

[13:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “breath,” but in context the point is that the image of the first beast is made to come to life and speak.

[13:15]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “of the beast”; the word “first” has been supplied to specify the referent.

[13:16]  ⁵² tn Or “forced”; Grk “makes” (ποιεῖ, poiei).

[13:16]  ⁵³ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[17:13]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “kings” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the referent.

[17:17]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “hearts.”

[17:17]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “his intent.”

[17:17]  ⁵⁷ tn The infinitive ποιῆσαι (poihsai) was translated here as giving the logical means by which God’s purpose was carried out.

[17:17]  ⁵⁸ tn On this term BDAG 203 s.v. γνώμη 4 states, “declaration, decision, resolution…of God Rv 17:17.”

[17:17]  ⁵⁹ tn For this translation see BDAG 168 s.v. βασιλεία 1.a, “kingship, royal power, royal rule.”

[17:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “completed.”