Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In my opinion, this verse refers 1) to the authority that God grants to human rulers and judges on earth to possess power and to carry out functions similar to His own in His name, and 2) to the inspired words that He gave to the prophets and writers of the Old Testament (such as the author of the psalm in the verse that Jesus was quoting in John 10:34) to speak on His behalf. 

It does not imply that any of these individuals is or was actually God (which is why the word "gods" in the verse is spelled with a lower-case "g"), but that, in their official or religious capacities, they were doing what they did in God's name and stead.

Jesus was saying that, if such individuals were called "gods" in inspired Scripture, then it was not blasphemy for Him to refer to Himself as God, or to make Himself equal with God because, as the Son of God whom God the Father had sent into the world, and who was one with the Father (as Jesus had just declared in John 10:30), He was greater than any of the human rulers or prophets of the Old Testament.

January 24 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Kenneth Heck

My opinion is that the Hebrew "elohyim" (Strong 430) translated here as "gods" generally refers to all the individuals, physical and spiritual, who possess divine legal authority to determine right and wrong, life and death, for the earth. This authority issues from the one true God, which is shared with or delegated to lower beings by transmission to the hierarchy (beginning with the archangels, angels, etc., descending finally down to man). No one but the true God has unlimited authority - everyone else participates only to a limited degree. 

Perhaps a more descriptive translation would be "of God" rather than "gods" since man and the rest of the hierarchy possess only a limited god-like authority over lower beings. This would also be in line with the rest of the verse.

The elohiym legal authority is expressed to humanity in forbidding certain activities or behavior. Violating these commandments will result in death of the soul (Ezek 18:20), unless a remedy, such as Christ's redeeming sacrifice, is available. Only the Judaic-Christian revelation clearly expresses the full extent of elohiymic authority over the earth. 

Man's authority comes from Genesis 1:26, which gives him domination over the animal world. Since human government has been instituted the meaning has been extended in the bible to cover all government officials. However, it doesn't really apply to democracies where all government exists only with the consent of the governed. Democracy can be more accurately described as self-government or self-regulation by a nation. There is no divine right to rule in a democracy.

January 24 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt

In Psalm 82:6, the writer Asaph quotes God saying, “You are gods.” It is literally, “You are elohim.”

In the majority of occurrences in the Old Testament, “Elohim” is the heavenly being, the name of plural majesty. However, “elohim” is also the plural word for idols, Genesis 35:4, Exodus 20:3, and false gods, Exodus 22:20, 23:13, 32:8. “Elohim” can be understood as angels in Psalm 8:5, and Psalm 97:7, compared to Hebrews 1:6. 

Also, it can be judges, as in Exodus 21:6, 22:8-9, Psalm 82:1, 6. It might be the sense in Psalm 95:3, which suggests King of kings and rulers.

Psalm 82:1 is the key to understanding Psalm 82:6. It has three usages of the word “elohim”: 
“Elohim” or God who stands or takes His place, as One presiding,
“El” (singular form) who are the mighty ones in the council or congregation,
“Elohim” who are the same mighty ones or judges that God as Judge will judge. 

The “elohim,” the mighty ones, were not angels who would not need the instruction of Psalm 82:2-4. The context is about earthly rulers anointed by God. These “elohim” were gods in their capacity as God’s representatives, instructed by and accountable to Him, II Chronicles 19:6-7. 

Then, in the last part of Psalm 82:6, God called the same ones, “sons of the Most High.” This parallelism indicates the rulers have their calling from God on high. They are His representatives on earth and should reflect Him. 

This designation of “elohim” as rulers and magistrates may correctly interpret the identity of “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2. They would be the children of the Most High, the rulers commissioned by God to serve. However, they as God’s “elohim” misused their authority as kings and nobles to choose wives outside their station and marry commoners or “daughters of men” (a custom only recently allowed among some royal houses). They were the great leaders, tyrants, the giants of Genesis 6:4, begetting mighty men of renown. 

Jesus quoted the first part of Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34, to claim that if leaders and judges are called “gods,” it was His right to be called “God,” which He was.

It is worthy to note that Jesus was not addressing the people in John 9:40-10:39, but the leaders who John consistently calls as a social class, “the Jews.” The quote of Psalm 82:6, in the context of the indictment of rulers who failed miserably to do their appointed jobs, Psalm 82:2-4, had to be a hard-hitting denouncement of the Jewish leaders. They had been hypocritically challenging Jesus, John 9:40, 10:19, 31, 33. But, Jesus outshone them as the beneficial, majestic Elohim. He, as God, will one day judge them and all leaders.

As the context of Psalm 82:6 is about rulers, and Jesus was addressing the leaders in His day, then “you are gods,” does not apply to every believer. However, a believer in a position of leadership is “a god,” and will eventually have to answer to God.

August 19 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report