What does Psalm 82 mean? [closed]

Question

6 I -- I have said, 'Gods ye are, And sons of the Most High -- all of you, http://yltbible.com/psalms/82.htm

So how many gods are there? Who are "you" here? Are we all gods?

Here is the context. What was the jewish word for gods there?

1 -- A Psalm of Asaph. God hath stood in the company of God, In the midst God doth judge.

2 Till when do ye judge perversely? And the face of the wicked lift up? Selah.

3 Judge ye the weak and fatherless, The afflicted and the poor declare righteous.

4 Let the weak and needy escape, From the hand of the wicked deliver them.

5 They knew not, nor do they understand, In darkness they walk habitually, Moved are all the foundations of earth.

6 I -- I have said, 'Gods ye are, And sons of the Most High -- all of you,

7 But as man ye die, and as one of the heads ye fall,

8 Rise, O God, judge the earth, For Thou hast inheritance among all the nations!

Answer 1

A core belief of Judaism is that there is only one God.

This is a bad translation. The Hebrew is:

אֲנִי-אָמַרְתִּי, אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם; וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם.‏

The word אֱלֹהִים can mean "God". It can also mean Judge, Idolatrous god/power (note the distinction between God and gods), Important Person.

In this context, others translate it as "godlike beings", "angels", "angelic creatures". But definitely not "Gods".

Answer 2

I like the translation אֱלֹהִים as 'Power' or 'Powerful Ones.' That covers the different possible meanings of G-d, false gods, powerful people or angels. Those who are either powerful or are falsely thought to be powerful in this world.

In a Kabbalistic sense when G-d is referred to as אֱלֹהִים that represents G-d acting within nature, while Y-H-V-H represents G-d transcending nature.

Psalm 82 poetically plays on the different meanings of אֱלֹהִים to exhort judges to judge properly and support the weak and poor rather than favoring the rich and powerful. Here is my non-literal translation.

G-d 'stands' in the midst of judges and will judge them.

How long will you (bad) judges favor the wicked? Give justice to the weak, the orphan and the poor. Rescue the needy and powerless from the hands of the wicked.

They (corrupt judges) do not know nor do they understand that they walk in darkness.

I thought all judges were G-dly and powerful sons of the most High (i.e. good and righteous) But like all men, even powerful princes you will die.

Please G-d judge the world, you control all the nations.

Answer 3

The Talmud states,

We should be grateful to our forebears, for had they not sinned by making the golden calf, we would not have been born into the world, as it says in Psalm 82, “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’” After they sinned, however, the LORD told them, “Now that you have done evil, though, ‘You will die like mere men.’”

This is apparently from a midrashic understanding of Psalm 82, which was believed to have been given by God to Israel at Sinai:

It is written, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.’” When Israel stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be he, said to the angel of death, “You may have power over all the other nations, but not over this people, for they are my portion, and just as I live forever, so will my children be eternal.” … Yet you refused to remain faithful and did evil and said to the golden calf, “This is your God, O Israel.” Because you sinned, “You will die like men.” (Midrash)

In this midrash, the people of Israel were elevated to an angelic, divine level upon receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. They became pure, immortal beings. This is what Psalm 82 refers to. However, upon sinning with the golden calf, they forfeited their divine status.