Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Annika Stacke <annika.stacke AT swipnet.se>]

Oh, what a coincidence! Just a few hours before this mail arrived I happened 
to read the article by Simon B. Parker: "The Beginning of the Reign of God - 
Psalm 82 as Myth and Liturgy", Revue Bible 102 (1995), pp 532-559. Parker 
has, among other things, a very good general exposition on the mythological 
assumption that each nation had its own god, or that each god had a nation to 
which it had been allotted. 

Parker has two interesting points concerning Ps 82: First, YHWH is not the 
one presiding the assembly of gods; it is El or Elyon. It is, however, YHWH 
who charges the other gods with maladministration and annonces their 
downfall, and after that he takes over and exercises a righteous rule over 
the world.

Secondly, the narrative section of the psalm (vv 1-7), reflecting a Canaanite 
origine, "explains" in the form of the myth the unrighteousness in the world. 
Nevertheless, YHWH has predicted the downfall of the gods, though this is not 
yet realized. Therefore, in vers 8, the Israelite community prays in the form 
of a liturgical cry to YHWH to exercise his rule over the world. In this 
sense, this psalm is properly Israelite, and quite compatible with the strict 
monotheistic teaching of Second Isaiah.

Annika

----------
Från:   George Athas
Skickat:        den 29 augusti 2000 16:59
Till:   Biblical Hebrew
Angående:       Elohim -- human or divine in Psalm 82?



|  As I understand it, Satan's promise to make them "gods" was as specious as 
all
|  his other words to Eve in the garden. In the BHS, 'e:LoHiYM can be used of
|  human beings, but it nearly always refers to "judges" sitting to judge 
cases
|  by the Law of Moses. The much discussed 'e:LoHiYM of Psalm 82 are a case in
|  point. That Psalm is a call to human judges to dispense right judgment: 
not to
|  "gods" in some sort of supernatural pantheon on high. They will die like 
the
|  puny humans that they are (verse 7). Their vain pretension to godlike 
status
|  was due to the Serpent's deception.

The only humans to be called 'gods' in the Hebrew Bible are Moses (and even 
that is just a
simile) and the king to whom Psalm 45 is addressed. Psalm 82 makes much more 
sense as a sitting of the divine court. Note that "Elohim" takes his stand in 
the counsel of "El" --
a very direct word meaning "deity". The Psalm ends asking "Elohim" to judge 
or govern the
earth in place of the other gods (who are barely worthy of that title) and so 
to take
possession of all the nations. That is, the Psalmist asks for the overthrow 
of all
national deities who each govern their own national domain because they are 
inept, and
instead asks for "Elohim" to take the reigns as a single autocratic ruler who 
is able to
restore order. This certainly has repercussions for human judges, but it is 
the divine
court which is in view in Psalm 82 -- not the average city gate court.

Best regards,
GEORGE ATHAS
- Anglican Chaplaincy, UNSW;
- Southern Cross College,
Sydney, Australia
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