READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LVI
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Psalm 82
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Psalm 82 is a timeless text containing a linguistic fossil of abandoned Jewish polytheism. So, “the gods” or “the divine beings” (depending upon translation), formerly members of the divine council, are the elohim, literally. They are demoted deities in the text. “God” is also elohim, literally. One elohim condemns the other elohim in Hebrew wordplay.
The demoted elohim have failed to administer the earth justly. They have judged dishonestly/perversely (depending upon translation) and favored the wicked. The demoted elohim have failed to grant justice to the poor, the orphaned, the lowly, and the wretched. Therefore, God has condemned the demoted elohim to mortality. And God, who is sovereign, is alone the true and just judge. God is universal; the gods of the other peoples are not the masters of their allegedly patron nations.
Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for You hold in estate all the nations.
–Psalm 82:8, Robert Alter
The echo of Jewish polytheism, which took centuries to purge from the faith, does not surprise me. The Bible speaks of this topic elsewhere–in prophetic writings, especially. Archaeology also confirms it. Yet I am not content to read Psalm 82 only on this level. The ancient text contains a message for today, regardless of variations in circumstances.
Who are our elohim? Who are those who are supposed to administer injustice yet do not? Who are those who judge dishonestly and favor the wicked? Who are those who deny justice of the poor, the orphans, the lowly, and the wretched? Who are those who exploit others? Those are our elohim.
Psalm 82 tells them:
Yet indeed like humans you shall die,
and like one of the princes, fall.
–Verse 7, Robert Alter
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 30, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF LESSLIE NEWBIGIN, ENGLISH REFORMED MISSIONARY AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT BATHILDAS, QUEEN OF FRANCE
THE FEAST OF SAINT DAVID GALVÁN BERMÚDEZ, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR IN MEXICO, 1915
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK OAKELEY, ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS GENESIUS I OF CLERMONT AND PRAEJECTUS OF CLERMONT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; AND SAINT AMARIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT JACQUES BUNOL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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