This passage highlights the responsibility and frailty of human authorities under God’s supreme rule.
I said, “You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High.” (v.6) These words were composed by Asaph, a Levite worship leader who served around the time of King David, approximately 1000 BC. Asaph’s psalm centers on God’s rebuke of earthly rulers who fail to reflect justice and mercy, calling them “gods” in the sense that they received authority and responsibility from the One true God. The Hebrew term for “God” (“Elohim”) is sometimes applied to human judges or leaders because they bear delegated power to enact fairness among the people. In Psalm 82, Asaph warns these rulers that despite their high calling, they remain subject to God’s righteous judgment.When Asaph writes, “You are gods”, he stresses the elevated status and accountability of those who govern on God’s behalf. Possessing divine permission to enact justice should not lead to pride or abuse, but to deep humility, because they will answer to the ultimate Judge. The psalm uses the phrase “sons of the Most High” to denote people who represent God’s authority and character in serving the community. Yet it also points to the sobering truth that their mortality places them back on equal footing with the people they rule, as God alone is truly sovereign.
This verse is referenced in the New Testament (John 10:34) by Jesus when He defends His own divine Sonship. By reminding the religious leaders that even Scripture applied the term “gods” to people, Jesus demonstrates that calling Himself God’s Son is not blasphemy, but the natural extent of the truth already revealed. Psalm 82:6 thus underscores how those acting in God’s name should recognize the privilege and ultimate accountability woven into the position entrusted to them.
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Psalms 82:6 meaning
I said, “You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High.” (v.6) These words were composed by Asaph, a Levite worship leader who served around the time of King David, approximately 1000 BC. Asaph’s psalm centers on God’s rebuke of earthly rulers who fail to reflect justice and mercy, calling them “gods” in the sense that they received authority and responsibility from the One true God. The Hebrew term for “God” (“Elohim”) is sometimes applied to human judges or leaders because they bear delegated power to enact fairness among the people. In Psalm 82, Asaph warns these rulers that despite their high calling, they remain subject to God’s righteous judgment.When Asaph writes, “You are gods”, he stresses the elevated status and accountability of those who govern on God’s behalf. Possessing divine permission to enact justice should not lead to pride or abuse, but to deep humility, because they will answer to the ultimate Judge. The psalm uses the phrase “sons of the Most High” to denote people who represent God’s authority and character in serving the community. Yet it also points to the sobering truth that their mortality places them back on equal footing with the people they rule, as God alone is truly sovereign.
This verse is referenced in the New Testament (John 10:34) by Jesus when He defends His own divine Sonship. By reminding the religious leaders that even Scripture applied the term “gods” to people, Jesus demonstrates that calling Himself God’s Son is not blasphemy, but the natural extent of the truth already revealed. Psalm 82:6 thus underscores how those acting in God’s name should recognize the privilege and ultimate accountability woven into the position entrusted to them.