Psalm 82 is one of the most curious and potentially confusing passages in the Bible, because of this interesting statement: “I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you’” (Psalm 82:6).
Who is this Psalm speaking to or about? If there is only one true and living God, then who are these “gods”? To make things even more interesting: Jesus quotes this passage from Psalm 82 in the Gospel of John, where he uses it in defense of His claim to be the Son of God!
In this post, we’ll explore the two main interpretive views of Psalm 82 and consider why Jesus referenced this passage in John 10.
What is Psalm 82 Describing?
Psalm 82 opens with these words:
“God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.” (Psalm 82:1 ESV)
This brings up some important questions: “Who is in this ‘divine council’?,” and “Who are these ‘gods’?” – not to mention: “Why is God judging them?”
The rest of the psalm gives some clues to help us answer these questions. First of all, God rebukes these “gods” for ruling unjustly, showing partiality to the wicked, and failing to defend the weak and the needy (verses 2–4). He then pronounces judgment:
“I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.’” (Psalm 82:6–7)
The psalm concludes with a plea for God Himself to rise up and judge the earth, because all nations ultimately belong to Him (vs 8).
So the central question is: Who are these “gods” whom God rebukes and condemns?
View 1: The “gods” are Human Judges or Rulers
The most widely held view throughout Jewish and Christian history is that Psalm 82 refers to human rulers—especially judges—within Israel. But of course, this view leaves the question: “Why call human judges or rulers ‘gods’?”
The Rationale for this View:
- “Elohim” Can Refer to Human Authorities
While elohim is most often used for God, it can also be used in a representative or functional sense. In passages like Exodus 21:6 and Exodus 22:8–9, elohim appears to refer to human judges acting in God’s name. - The Context Is a Courtroom
Psalm 82 is filled with courtroom language: judging, ruling unjustly, defending the poor, showing partiality. These are precisely the responsibilities assigned to human judges under the Mosaic Law. - The Moral Failure Fits Human Leaders
The rebuke (failing to protect the weak and ruling unjustly) seems to apply to the actions of corrupt human rulers. Throughout the prophets, God consistently condemns Israel’s leaders for these exact sins (e.g., Isaiah 1, Micah 3). - “You Will Die Like Men” Emphasizes Their Mortality
Verse 7 states that despite their lofty position, these “gods” will die like ordinary humans. This makes sense if the Psalm is addressing rulers who have forgotten that their authority is temporary and accountable to God.
Summary of View 1
In this reading, Psalm 82 teaches that human judges, entrusted with God’s authority, have abused their power and/or neglected their calling. God reminds them that even though they function as His representatives on Earth (cf. Romans 13:4,6), they are not divine—and they will face judgment for their transgressions.
View 2: The Divine Council (Heavenly Beings)
A second view, popularized in recent decades by scholars such as Michael Heiser and others who have studied the ancient Near East, argues that Psalm 82 refers to supernatural beings, who are members of a heavenly “divine council.”
The Rationale for this View:
- The Language of a “Divine Council”
Psalm 82:1 describes God standing “in the midst of the gods,” which some argue mirrors ancient Near Eastern imagery of a heavenly council of spiritual beings. - “Sons of the Most High”
This phrase is sometimes associated with heavenly beings elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Job 1–2). - Cosmic Scope of Judgment
Some proponents argue that the Psalm envisions God judging spiritual rulers over the nations, not merely human officials in Israel.
Not Polytheism
It’s important to note that proponents of this view are not polytheists and do not believe in the existence of other gods. The True and Living God is not just one god among equals; instead, God is judging other created spiritual beings who are called “gods” only in the sense that they are spiritual beings given power to rule, yet they are utterly subordinate to Him and are subject to death and judgment.
To support this view, Michael Heiser points to Deuteronomy 32:7-9 as an important corollary:
Remember the days of old;
consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
your elders, and they will tell you.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD’S portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage. (Deuteronomy 32:7-9)
Heiser states that this verse is describing how God divided the nations of mankind into regions, over which He then appointed spiritual beings (i.e. angels) to govern over them, and God gave them authority to oversee those human populations in the regions determined for their habitation (cf. Acts 17:26). Finally, God declared that the nation of Israel would be under his own purview, since they were his own special people whom he had created for his purposes.
An explanation of this view can be found in this video:
Jesus and Psalm 82 in John 10:34–36
Rather than hiding from or avoiding this potentially controversial choice of words in Psalm 82, Jesus brings up this passage in John 10, in a conversation with the Jewish Religious Leaders. In John 10, Jesus had just said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Jewish leaders responded to that by picking up stones to kill Jesus for committing blasphemy. Jesus responded by saying:
“Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:34–36)
What Jesus Was (and Was Not) Doing
Jesus was not saying, “I am just one god among many.” Nor was He saying, “Everyone is divine.”
Instead, Jesus was making a legal and rhetorical argument—known as a qal wahomer (“from the lesser to the greater”).
Here’s the logic:
- If Scripture can refer to human (or otherwise created) authorities as “gods”—because they were entrusted with God’s word and authority—
- Then how can it be blasphemy for the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world to call Himself “the Son of God”?
His argument is that: If those created beings were called “sons of God,” and that was put in the Bible – then, how can it be wrong for Jesus to call himself the Son of God, since he (Jesus) is even greater than them?
If Psalm 82 is referring to human figures, then Jesus’ point is that fallible humans were called “gods” in the Bible when they were endowed with authority from God. If Psalm 82 is referring to spiritual beings, Jesus is claiming that created and fallible angels (literally: “messengers”) from God can be referred to as “gods” without it being blasphemy, and therefore since he has been sent by the Father as the ultimate messenger of His Word, then it is not blasphemy for him to call himself the “Son of God.”
Rather than undermining Jesus’ deity, this passage strengthens that claim. Jesus distinguishes Himself from those “gods” because:
- They received the word of God, but He is the Word made flesh.
- They were appointed temporarily, but He was consecrated and sent by the Father.
- They would die like men, but He would lay down His life and take it up again.
Theological Implications
Psalm 82 reminds us that God takes justice seriously. Authority — whether religious, political, or spiritual — is always accountable to Him. Leaders who exploit power or ignore the vulnerable will be subject to divine judgment.
John 10 reminds us that Jesus is not merely a representative of God or a messenger from God; He is God the Son.
And what’s incredible about this, is that the One who judges unjust rulers is the same one who came to take the judgment for our sins, by being judged in our place on the cross.
The irony of Jesus’ crucifixion therefore, is that the religious leaders who accused Jesus of blasphemy were actually the exact kind of people Psalm 82 was referring to: leaders who misused their God-given authority. All the while, the true judge of Psalm 82 was allowing himself to be condemned, so that sinners like us could be saved.
Theology for the People 