Psalms 82:6 · Bible study
Psalms 82:6 Commentary: 'You Are Gods', Meaning and Jesus' Use
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how human judges are called 'gods' in Psalm 82:6, and how Jesus used this verse to defend his claim to be Son of God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God declares that human judges, as his representatives, are called 'gods' and 'sons of the Most High,' yet they will face mortal judgment for their injustice.
- Key words: Elohim (gods), a title of authority, not divinity; amar (said), divine declaration creating the office; kol (all), universal scope.
- Main debate: Whether 'gods' refers to human judges (most Christian tradition), angels (Targum, Rashi, Jarchi), or foreign kings (Gesenius).
- Theological theme: Delegated divine authority and its accountability; Christological foreshadowing in Jesus' use of Psalm 82:6.
- Best use: Teaching on God's sovereignty over human rulers, the seriousness of leadership, and Jesus' self-identification as the unique Son of God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High.
KJV King James Version 1769
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
I said, Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I--I have said, `Gods ye are , And sons of the Most High--all of you,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
I have said, Ye aregods, and all of you are children of the Most High;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For they have contrived with one consent: they have made a covenant together against thee,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo dije: Vosotros sois dioses, é hijos todos vosotros del Altísimo.
Eu disse: Sois deuses; e todos vós sois filhos do Altíssimo.
J’avais dit: Vous êtes des dieux,
Ich habe wohl gesagt: “Ihr seid Götter und allzumal Kinder des Höchsten”;
Ik heb wel gezegd: Gij zijt goden; en gij zijt allen kinderen des Allerhoogsten;
Io ho detto: Voi siete dii, siete tutti figliuoli dell’Altissimo.
Jam rzekł: Bogowieście, a synami Najwyższego wy wszyscy jesteście.
Сговорились единодушно, заключили против Тебя союз:
我 曾說：你們 是神，都是 至高者 的兒子。
I said, You are gods; all of you are the sons of the Most High:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 82:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The overwhelming majority of commentators, across Reformed, Wesleyan, and Anglican traditions, agree that the 'gods' in Psalm 82:6 are human rulers and judges. Barnes notes that God 'conferred on you an appellation which indicates a greater nearness to God than any other which is bestowed on men.' Clarke adds that they 'are my representatives, and are clothed with my power and authority.' Calvin, Gill, and Matthew Henry all confirm this reading: the title 'gods' (elohim) reflects their God-given authority, not their nature. Their position as 'sons of the Most High' signals their responsibility to a higher Judge. Yet the verse does not justify their corruption; it sets up the rebuke that follows in verse 7: they will die like any human. Jesus later quotes this verse in John 10:34, 36 to argue that if God's word could call human judges 'gods,' how much more may he, whom the Father sanctified, call himself the Son of God. The early Jewish interpreters (Targum, Rashi) took the verse as referring to angels, but the Christian exegetical tradition has consistently seen human magistrates here, based on the nearest Old Testament background in Exodus 22:28 and the psalm's courtroom context.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Human judges (majority Christian view): The psalm's context (v. 1–4, v. 7) and Exodus 22:28; Jesus' application in John 10:34–36 presupposes human rulers.
- Angels (Jewish and some earlier Christian view): Targum, Rashi, Jarchi; the divine council imagery in Psalm 82:1 and Job 1–2 supports angelic beings.
- Foreign kings (minority view): Gesenius and some modern critics argue the psalm critiques foreign oppressors, not Israelite judges.
What is clear: The beings called 'gods' are created, accountable beings whom God addresses with both dignity and a mortal verdict.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the 'gods' | All agree they are beings called 'gods' by God himself, holding a position of authority. | Most Christian commentators, Reformed, Wesleyan, Baptist, identify them as human judges in Israel. The Jewish Targum and some early interpreters (Rashi, Jarchi) see them as angels. A minority view (Gesenius) holds they are foreign rulers. |
| Jesus' use in John 10:34, 36 | Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6 to defend his claim to be the Son of God, arguing from the lesser (human judges called gods) to the greater (himself). | Some see this as a purely rabbinic argument of convenience, while others (Westcott, Calvin) see it as a foreshadowing of the Incarnation, the word 'gods' for judges prepares for the full union of God and man in Christ. |
| The mortality pronouncement (v. 7) | The verse declares that despite their high title, these 'gods' will die like regular humans. | Whether this is a threat of sudden violent death (some Reformed traditions) or a simple reminder of their mortality (Lange, Keil) is debated. All agree it shows they are not immortal. |
| The phrase 'sons of the Most High' | This denotes a special relationship to God based on appointment, not nature. | Reformed tradition (Calvin, Matthew Henry) emphasizes the theocratic and messianic background (Psalm 2:7; Exodus 4:22), while others (Barnes) focus on the universal dignity of rulers as God's children by office. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 82 is a composition of Asaph, set in a divine assembly where God presides over the 'gods', the human judges of Israel (v. 1). The psalm opens with a question: 'How long will you judge unjustly?' (v. 2), then commands them to defend the weak, poor, and fatherless (vv. 3, 4). Verse 5 laments their ignorance and moral darkness, shaking the earth's foundations. The psalmist then shifts to God's voice in verse 6, recalling the original divine decree that gave these rulers their title. The background is the Israelite legal tradition: Exodus 22:8 calls judges 'God' (elohim), and Exodus 22:28 commands, 'You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.' The same word is used of Moses and the judges in the law. This psalm likely reflects a period of judicial corruption, possibly the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 19:5, 7) when he appointed judges and charged them not to pervert justice, or later in Hezekiah's time when reforms were needed. Calvin cites Kimchi and Morison on these possibilities. The divine council imagery (God sitting in assembly) is a prophetic device to emphasize accountability: these human authorities are answerable to the heavenly King. The verse's ‘I said’ (emphatic ‘I’ in Hebrew) stresses God's own act of delegation. The judges are not divine by nature, but by office. This makes their failure all the more grievous. The psalm ends with a plea for God to arise and judge the earth (v. 8), implying that human judges have failed and the ultimate Judge must correct and restore justice.
Textual Notes
None of the supplied sources note any significant textual variants for Psalm 82:6. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition, and all major translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby) reflect the same reading. The Douay-Rheims diverges considerably (reading a different verse), but that is due to a different versification in the Latin tradition, not a textual variant.
Reception History
Jewish interpreters have long read Psalm 82:6 in light of the divine council: the Targum renders 'gods' as 'angels,' a tradition continued by Rashi and Kimchi. In the Christian tradition, the verse became central after Jesus quoted it in John 10:34, 36. Early church fathers like Irenaeus and Augustine used it to argue for Christ's divinity against Jewish objections. During the Reformation, Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasized the accountability of earthly rulers. Modern Protestant commentators (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge Bible) generally follow the human-judge interpretation. The verse has also been taken in some charismatic movements as a basis for the 'little gods' teaching, though mainstream scholarship rejects that reading as a misinterpretation of the office-based title.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God appoints human authority. Judges are called 'gods' because they represent God’s justice on earth (v. 6). This calling is a gift, not a right.
- God holds authorities accountable. The same verse that bestows dignity also pronounces judgment: they will die like men (v. 7). High office means high responsibility.
- Jesus uses this verse to reveal his own identity. In John 10:34, 36, Jesus employs this human-divine language to argue from the lesser to the greater: if human judges can be called 'gods,' how much more is the one sent from the Father truly the Son of God?
Five-Point Outline
- Dignity conferred by God: God said, 'You are gods', it is his declaration alone that gives leaders their standing.
- Nature of the title: 'Sons of the Most High' signals both relationship and accountability to a higher authority.
- Abuse of the office: The psalm exposes the gap between the title and the behavior, the judges are unjust despite their godlike role.
- The mortal verdict: 'You shall die like men' strips away every illusion of divinity. God alone is immortal; human rulers fall.
- Christological fulfillment: Jesus takes this text to show that his claim to sonship is not blasphemy but the ultimate realization of what the Law itself foreshadowed (Westcott: 'a foreshadowing of the Incarnation').
Illustration Hooks
- A judge’s robe and gavel are ordinary objects, but in the courtroom they carry the authority of the state, similarly, human leaders wear a borrowed dignity that must be exercised with justice.
- Consider a mirror that reflects the sun: the light is not its own, but it is real. When the mirror is dirty, it fails its purpose. So leaders are meant to reflect God’s justice.
- Think of a building’s cornerstone: it supports the entire structure. When the foundation stones (the judges) are crooked, the whole society shakes (v. 5).
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does calling human leaders 'gods' mean we should never critique them? (The psalm itself critiques them sharply.)
- If Jesus used this verse to defend his deity, does that mean every Christian leader can claim to be a 'god'?
- How does this verse help us pray for our rulers, not just for their success, but for their accountability before the true God?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 82:6 stands at a crucial crossroads: it shows how God elevates human beings to represent him in leadership, while also warning them that their status is not immortality. In John 10, Jesus uses this very verse to argue that his own claim to be God's Son is consistent with Scripture. As you discuss this passage, consider both the original meaning for Israel's judges and how Jesus reorients it around himself.
Discussion Questions
- Read Psalm 82:1, 8 together. What picture do we get of God's relationship with human judges?
- The Hebrew word elohim is used for God, for angels, and for judges. What does it mean that judges are given this title? (Exodus 22:28 provides background.)
- Why does the psalmist emphasize that God 'said' this? (The Hebrew 'I' is emphatic.) How does that affect the weight of the calling?
- In verse 7, God says these judges 'will die like men.' How does that statement both humble them and highlight God's own transcendence?
- Turn to John 10:34, 36. Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6. Why would that argument be compelling to Jewish leaders who knew the Scriptures?
- Some interpreters think the 'gods' in Psalm 82 are angels. How does Jesus' use of the verse help clarify that it refers to human judges?
- What does this passage teach us about how we should pray for, and hold accountable, our own civil leaders today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 22:9 | For every matter of trespass, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, about which one says, ‘This is mine,’ the cause of both parties shall come before God. He whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor. |
| Exodus 22:28 | “You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people. |
| Psalms 82:1 | A Psalm by Asaph. God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. |
| John 10:34 | Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? |
| John 10:36 | do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Ye are gods - Or, with the prefix of כ ke, the particle of similitude, כאלהים keelohim, "like God." Ye are my representatives, and are clothed with my power and authority to dispense judgment and justice, therefore all of them are said to be children of the Most High.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that Jesus does not dismiss the title "gods" but reminds his critics that God himself gave that name to human judges. They were called "gods" as God’s representatives on earth, their decisions carrying his authority. Jesus uses this to show that calling someone a son of God is not blasphemy.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin points out that this psalm confronts rulers who, blinded by pride, assume they can act without restraint. The psalmist first warns them they must answer to the supreme Judge above all earthly authority, then, seeing they reject correction, calls on God to step in and demonstrate His own justice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator shows that Jesus appealed to this verse in John 10, arguing that if Old Testament judges were called gods as God's representatives, then His own claim to be the Son of God was not blasphemy. The deeper point: this capacity for humans to bear God's name foreshadowed the Incarnation itself.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note observes that the title "gods" is applied to human rulers and magistrates, who serve as God's deputies. Despite this high honor, they are still mortal and will face God's judgment just like any other person.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "gods" as human judges and magistrates, not angels. They hold the title by God's appointment and office, but remain mortal men who will die. He notes this reading differs from Jewish traditions that interpret them as angels.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that God acknowledges the official dignity of these rulers, even quoting His own earlier words to support their title, yet immediately counters that honor by reminding them they are mortal men who will die like everyone else. The distinction is between their elevated office and their inescapable human frailty.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that God's rebuke here is direct and final, not an ineffective aside. The judges hold the title "elohim" by God's gracious appointment, but this dignity does not shield them; their persistent injustice will strip them of it, and they will die like common people.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the “gods” in this psalm are human judges and rulers who hold delegated authority from God, not angels or foreign kings. He grounds this on the Old Testament usage of Elohim for Israel’s magistrates and on Jesus’ reference in John 10:34-36. God conferred on them a high title, but their unrighteousness will bring them down to die like any mortal prince.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a sharp contrast between the high title God gives to magistrates and their certain mortality. Though they are called gods as representatives of divine authority, they will still die like any ordinary person. This humbling truth checks the pride that often comes with power.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the leader receives God’s own name and power to rule in His place. This authority extends beyond Israel to all nations. The one appointed represents God’s person, bearing both His name and His ruling authority directly.