Who Are the Elohim of Psalm 82?

Sharing some thoughts on the likely originally intended sense of elohim in Psalm 82 and then how that sense was renegotiated in alter Jewish & Christian literature.

[LapsedSkeptic]

As an aspiring student in relative studies I greatly appreciate your channel(as well as your published works) it is a constant source of inspiration to put in the work and get to a point where I can turn out your level of scholarship. Thank you for all your efforts, I am very much looking forward to your ramped up content creation which will hopefully include an uptick in classes as well. Thank you for all you do.

[lindab.]

Another brilliant analysis thank you Dan!!! 😀

[pikachu]

Thanks for the great video. I would like to know your thoughts on the "Great hymn to the Aten" and its purported similarity to Psalm 104. Does it hint at a possible link between Judaism and Atenism? Or are things a bit more complex than that?

[STROND]

Jesus then referred the Jews to their own Holy Scriptures, to Psalm 82:6, and said: “Is it not written in your law, I have said, Ye are gods? ... To prove this, Jesus quoted to them from Psalm 82, verses 1, 2, 6, 7 (AV) of which read: “God [Elohím] standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods [elohím].

At Psalm 82:1, 6, ʼelo·himʹ is used of men, human judges in Israel. Jesus quoted from this Psalm at John 10:34, 35. They were gods in their capacity as representatives of and spokesmen for Jehovah. Similarly Moses was told that he was to serve as “God” to Aaron and to Pharaoh.​—Ex 4:16

[iulianmaciuca]

Hi. Why is it the plural form in the Genesis "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness" ? It's a translation issue or there were many gods in the Jewish pantheon ?

[lancemarchetti]

"among the gods ( Elohim - plural), there is none like You, oh Lord (YHWH)

I have no problem with accepting that God has a council of lesser 'elohim' of whom Christ is Chief of all the Heavenly beings. Man is unique and is never referred to, or understood to be a 'lesser' god.

[irontaylor]

hows it going Dan interesting videos so are you a christain

[victor]

Could you go over Gen. 1:1 and Gen.1:2 are they two different stories and why does it say God created man in his image he created him/her in our image? Who is our? Also after the fall the Lord God says know they are Gods like us? Does this mean more than one God? I see in Gen.1:1 God is used and in Gen. 1:2 the Lord God is used any reason for this?

[bobbuilder]

Could Jesus' use of Psalm 82 not be intended to say "look, you have no problem with Psalm 82 With Adonai addressing the Elohim, why? Because God spoke directly to them. And man receives God's words through a medium. However I, (Jesus) AM the word of God, how much more am I a God?"

That seems to fit to me within the argumentation of the Johannine literature. As the whole gospel builds on the idea of Jesus being the only human who has seen the Father face to face and speaks His words. He's greater than the Elohim of the Divine counsel.

[Runinfox]

NO ONE POSTS such as ME--info you NEVER knew and want to CHASTISE--BUT KNOWING BETTER

for there IS TOO MUCH STRANGENESS from a STRANGER--WHOM IS the SCOUT/SOUND/SOUL

[Runinfox]

Psalm 71 tells of DAVID telling You the First Time--the QUICKENING The Psalm 119 just before the END TIMES of Psalm 120-127 including 128/129 Tells you of ALL the WAYS DAVID SOUGHT QUICKENING and whether He RECEIVED MORE than ONCE and then Psalm 139 Tells YOU ALL The QUICKENINGS and ALL The UNCREATED SOULS(HIs SOULS) That had NOT BEEN CREATED and HOW much of the UNIVERSE(PLURAL) had YET TO BE FASHIONED..

[Runinfox]

BORN 9/23/49 Just after the Jews return 1948--First full year was Sep 48-Sept 23rd 49 The 2012 ANNIVERSARY of AUGUSTUS CAESAR Birth on ROSH HASHANAH/ Fall EQUINOX where everything IS EQUAL and the SCALES prevail being Held by the Blind Virgin as the TAIL of the SERPENT(SCORPION) perched OVERHEAD---REV 12--The Woman and BEAST 9/23/49

[scienceexplains]

So John’s Jesus ignored the context, i.e. Pslam 82:1. (John 10:31-35)

[b.l.]

LORD of lords, King of kings, God of gods. Trample em, big G.

[Leoji]

Do you think the book of Enoch should or shouldn't be canon?

[Runinfox]

I'm REAL and have ALWAYS BEEN---just keep playing your game and you may SEE.
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[End_of_Days]

Talk about overexpalining Psalm 82 and not exalting Jesus.
😊😃🙂
VERY CLEAR that Jesus tells us who the gods/elohim are in both Psalm 82 and John 10 are human. Jesus has OWNERSHIP to the answer.
Asaph the Prophet writes ESV Psalm 82: 1 "God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds of the Lord (God/Father) comes to prophet Asaph
Psalm 82:6 - “I said, you are (Father speaking thru prophet Asaph) WHY word of the Lord came to prophets like Asaph Psalm 82.

John 10: 34-35 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be who is God (Son) Fulfills the words that God (Father) had spoken thru Asaph to Humans.
Note in Psalm 82: 1, ESV uses "divine council" other translations use "congregation of the mighty" or "great assembly".

Check out the order Jesus uses “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), "

Law "gods" and Prophets (word of the Lord came to Prophets of God)

What this is saying at who is in the Middle of the Law and the Prophets, that would be the "gods". The "gods" that Jesus is referencing are from Psalm 82.
The "gods" are human and would be the Jews, becasue the Jews were given the Law and had the true Prophets of God. With that said the "gods" are human Jesus has Ownership to the answer of the "gods" of Psalm 82 found in John 10. Heiser is CHEATING Jesus out of the answer and throwing Jesus under the bus. Heiser has lead so many astray with his explanation of Psalm 82. Scripture clearly tells us that the Jews were given the Law and had the Prophets, NOT a bunch of super angels that Heiser promotes. Super angels were NEVER given the Law or had the Prophets of God.

Key points (7)
1.What Dan NEVER explains the "Job Description" of prophets in the Old Testament. Most people are even unaware of who wrote Psalm 82. Asaph the prophet wrote Psalm 82 as well as other Psalms 50, 73–81 and 83. Prophets were the "VOICE" of God that is why it is IMPORTANT that Jesus Repeats and Fulfills these Psalm 82:6 - “I said, you are gods.” 10: 34-35 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), "
Prophets would handle and carry the word of the Lord in the Old Testament, they were the representative of the words God whated to say>>>> the "Voice" of God. Jesus (Son) is fulfill in the New Testament what God (Father) had spoken thru the prophet. Even Moses is in the likeness of God to Pharoh, Exodus 7:1 "And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet."

2. Since Jesus is repeating what the Father had spoken and said thru the prophtet like Asaph. Since Jesus (Son) is addressing "HUMANS" in John 10, the same is that the God (Father) speaking thru the prophet Asaph in Psalm 82 (Asaph the "Voice" of God) would be addressing HUMANS in Psalm 82. Dan totally leaves out the "I said" declaration of Jesus (Son) in John 10 and the the "I said" by God (Father) speaking thru the Prophet Asaph of Psalm 82. Jesus is God, God is ONE God made up of 3 persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The "I said" delararation is no different than an "I am" declaration.

3. The Godhead/Trinity This is how the 3 persons within the Godhead opearate and function. Only the Holy Spirit (God) can convince a person to understand why the Son (God) has to fulfill the words that the Father (God) that were spoken by the prophet like Asaph and other prophets as well in the Old Testament. It is Said that Jesus has fulfilled over 350 prophecies of in the New Testament from the prophets from the Old Testament. Even Isaiah the prophet who wrote Isaiah 53 was the "Voice" of God in the Old Testament, so Jesus can Fulfill what was said in Isaiah 53 is about the Crucifixion of Christ. Jesus has Ownership to both prophets Isaiah and Asaph of what they wrote and how God (Father) spoke thru them. Prophets were given the word of the Lord

4. Jesus is the word/Word become flesh John 1: 14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets, Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." No super angels of a divine council were ever given the Law and the Prophets, it would be the Nation of Israel

5. To address to "die like men" In Psalm 82: 7 is Referring to those bad elders, rulers, leaders or judges within the nation of Israel that have High Authority, they favor the wicked and judge unjustly, they do not follow through with their responsibilities, duties, and do not represent God or the law, these High Officials are just men, they have High Rank so they will die like men. They are human not divine beings. God has always set up rulers within the nation of Israel and even throughout the world.
In Numbers 11: 16 “So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.”
1 Samuel 8 : 1-4 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
God has ALWAYS set up Governements in the world not just with in the Nation of Israel, Romans 13: 1 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

6. Clearly the "gods/elohim" of Psalm 82 are human judges, some even apply kings. The Old Testament has a book called Judges as well as two other books 1 Kings & 2 Kings. No book in scripture is applied to something nonhuman or angelic. Psalm 82:6 "“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’.... The word "sons" used in this passage is an "Adoptive" Term for Israel, Israel was the chosen people of God.

7. Psalm 89 has NOTHING to do with Psalm 82. Some people like to mix those chapters together. Psalm 89 is in the heavenly and spirtual realm when Psalm 82 is on the earth and the physical world. The same logic heavenly and spiriitual would apply to 2 Chronicles 18:21 and 1 Kings 22:19-23 where it mentions a scene in heaven and the lying spirit. The heavenly hosts in scripture refers to the sun, moon and stars.

In Summary
The Humans are Jewish rulers in both Psalm 82 and John 10. Psalm 82 Jewish rulers like judges or even kings. John 10 Jewish rulers like pharissees. Psalm 82 would be human, NOT a bunch of super angels. Dan throws Jesus under the bus. Dan CANNOT answer the question of the gods/elohim of Psalm 82 becasue Jesus has already answered the question of the gods/elohim in John 10. Jesus has Ownership to the answer, since Jesus is addressing humans in John 10 the same would be humans are being addressed in Psalm 82, not a bunch of super angels of a divine council. So many minds and has triggered the mind to think this "divine council" is non human. Jesus clearly gives us the answer the divine council is human.
The phrase and title given "you are gods" is a legalistic title of Authority because the Jews were given the Law and as well as judge with the law. The Jews were given the Law and 10 commandments to govern them and council them, so it is imposible for this to be nonhuman spirit beings or angels. The Jews also had the True Prophets of God. God also established covenants with Humans, not nonhuman spirit beings or angels.

[braznartn]

Your explanation of Psalm 82 is far *too wordy.* Perfect example of a subject to leave alone until you have a better grip on it.

[EasternRomeOrthodoxy]

🇷🇺☦️🤝☪️🇵🇸Wrong, and i suggest you take that blasphemy about our Lord back. First off, that is not what Jesus meant by quoting it – he meant it in the original meaning, that despite the fact that the Pharisees act as gods by sentencing him as they please, they wil die just like all humans do (yet HE being a god won't).
You see, this what happens when you're a Protestant not a Christian, and not trained in the Hebrew text as us Eastern Roman Orthodox or Roman Catholics🤦 – let me educate you:

The poet Assaf asks the imaginary idols: "How long will you judge injustice and bear the face of the wicked?" (2), he calls them to do justice to the poor and orphans, and to save them from the hands of the wicked: "Judge the poor and the orphan, the poor and the righteous" (3), "Remove the poor and destitute from the hands of the wicked" (4). The poet moves on to speak of those "gods": "They did not know and would not understand. They will walk in darkness and perish like all the institutions of the earth" (5), the poet says that until now he thought they were really "gods": "(But) I said you are gods and that you are all children of the Most High "(6), but now he knows that: "Indeed as a man you will die and as one of the ministers you will fall" (7).

[clovismeaux]

After saying all that. You do realize there is not actually a divine council, correct?