Works Volume 4, Book 3 · Psalm 82
The Eighty Second PSALM.
A Pſalm of Aſaph.
Paraphrase. The Eighty ſecond Pſalm compoſed by Aſaph, is an admonition to juſtice, and an upbraiding invective againſt the injuſtice of earthly Tribunals, with an appeal unto God the ſupreme and moſt juſt Judge. †To that place Kimchi refers, and thinks it probable that the Pſalm was written in the days of Jehoſaphat.See 2 Chron. 19.7.
1. God ſtandeth in the congregation of ‖God. foreignthe mighty, he is a judge among Gods.
Paraphrase. 1. Be the Rulers and Judges and Adminiſtrators of this world never ſo highly honoured, inveſted by God with his own power, his proxies on earth, as Angels in a manner, i. e. perſons commiſſionated from God; yet muſt they reſolve that God is ſuperiour to all their judicatures and adminiſtrations, preſides in all, and will exact and call them to a ſevere account, judge over again whatſoever hath been judged by them.
2. How long will you judge unjuſtly, and accept the perſons of the wicked? Selah.
Paraphrase. 2. 'Tis therefore a great folly and impiety in them, to favour any unrighteous cauſe or perſon, and either for bribes or other carnal intereſt to judge falſely.
3. Defend the poor and fatherleſs; †juſtifie.cforeigndo juſtice to the afflicted and needy.
4. Deliver the poor and needy, *relieve, or free. foreignrid them from the hand of the wicked.
Paraphrase. 3, 4. 'Tis the office and buſineſs of their calling, intruſted to them by God, to receive all that are moſt helpleſs (not which are moſt powerful and rich) into their care and patronage, to abſolve the innocent, be he never ſo unable to purchaſe their favour, or ſecure himſelf from the oppreſſions of other men, to plead the cauſe of ſuch, and reſcue them out of the hand of the violent and injurious.
5. They know not, neither will they underſtand, they walk on in darkneſs: all the foundations of the earth ‖move, nod, or are ſhaken. foreignare out of courſe.
Paraphrase. 5. But impious obſtinate men pervert juſtice, and proceed without all remorſe in their corrupt courſes, a gift blindeth the eyes of the Wiſe or Seer, Exod. 23.8. and ſo thoſe that ſhould rule and adminiſter the ſeveral Nations of the earth uprightly, and preſerve Juſtice among all men, are themſelves the moſt unjuſt, and thereby the Authors of all miſchiefs to the world.
6. I have ſaid, you are gods, and all of you are children of the moſt High.
7. But ye ſhall dye like men, and fall like one of the Princes.
Paraphrase. 6, 7. By their commiſſions and power derived to them from the God of heaven, they are a ſort of terreſtrial Angels, imployed and innobled by God, and as children are of parents, his copies and images upon earth. But this doth not ſo priviledge them as to give them immunity from the common fate of all men, whether people or Prince, that of mortality, nor conſequently from that ſevere account and reward of their actions, which after death expects all ſuch.
8. Ariſe, O God, judge the earth; for thou ſhalt inherit all nations.
Paraphrase. 8. It being moſt certain that ſuch a judgment of God ſhall one day come, wherein the whole world ſhall be concerned; all the men on earth being the ſubjects of the ſupreme Deity, and ſo accountable and ſadly puniſhable for all they have ever offended.
Annotations on Pſalm LXXXII.
foreignV. 1. The mighty] That foreign is the title of God, is ſufficiently known, taken from his ſupreme power which he hath over all the world; And then Gods ſtanding, i. e. preſiding (ſo 1 Sam. 19.20. Samuel foreign ſtood preſiding over them) in the congregation of God, i. e. in his own judicature (ſo the Jewiſh Arab ſaith, that it is the repetition of the name again, inſtead of the affix) or that which is erected and authorized by him, is the ſame which we read, 2 Chr. 19.6. He ſaid unto the Judges, Take heed what you do, for ye judge not for men, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. R. Obad. Gaon gloſſeth it, that God is an aſſiſtant and defender when they judge righteouſly, but a revenger when they pervert judgment. The Jewiſh Arab reads, Gods command ſtandeth, is placed in the conventions among the judges when they judge, i. e. by his commiſsion it is that they do act.
foreignIbid. Gods] What foreign here ſignifies, may be examined by the uſe of the word in other places. As Pſ. 86.8. There is none like unto thee foreign among theſe Elohim: where the Chaldee expreſly renders it foreign among the high angels. So 1 Sam. 28.13. I ſaw foreign Elohim aſcending out of the Earth: the Targum reads again foreign an angel of the Lord. So here, v. 6. I ſaid foreign ye are Elohim: the Chaldee read foreign as Angels. And when it there follows foreign and children, or ſons of the moſt High, they render foreign and as the high angels, in the notion of ſons of God, Job 1.6. and 2.1. foreign the ſons of God came, i. e. ſaith the Chaldee, in conſent with all interpreters in that place, foreign the aſſemblies of angels] This therefore being the frequent known uſe or the word, and that taken from the office of angels, to be the miniſters and legates and officers ſent (from whence is their title both in Hebrew and Greek, foreign and foreign) and commiſsionated by God, whoſe name therefore they bear; it is by the ſame reaſon of analogy applyed to all Judges and Magiſtrates (and accordingly, Pſal. 138.1. this ſame word is by the Chaldee rendred foreign Judges, and by the Syriack, foreign Kings) adminiſtring juſtice to the people, in the name and by commiſſion from God, whoſe foreign, Miniſters they are, Rom. 13.4. foreign, appointed by God, v. 1. and their aſſembly the judicature of God, in the beginning of this verſe. Among theſe God is here ſaid to be the foreign in the Punick notion of Suffes for a Dictator, or Supreme judge.foreign
V. 3. Do juſtice] From foreign juſtus fuit, is foreign in Hiphil, to juſtifie, in the notion of acquitting, or abſolving, and is ſet oppoſite to condemning, Deut. 25.1. foreign and they ſhall juſtifie, or acquit the juſt, and condemn the wicked. So Prov. 17.15. foreign he that acquits the impious, and condemns the juſt. And ſo here foreign being ſpoken of a Judge whoſe office it is to acquit or condemn, muſt in all reaſon be rendred in that notion of acquitting from the charge that injurious men lay againſt him.
V. 6. foreignI ſaid ye are gods] Theſe words being cited by Chriſt, Jo. 10.34. are introduced in this ſtile, Is it not written in your Law? From hence the concluſion is neceſſary, that this Book of Pſalms was among the Jews, lookt on as a part of the Divine Law, in a more wide and looſe notion of law; as the writings of the Prophets, and all that were inſpired by God, and bring divine authority along with them, are ſtyled Law. To this purpoſe the words of Midras Tehillim are obſervable: foreign the Pſalms are thora, i. e. the Law. And to that perhaps may be referred what we find, Pſal. 78.1. Hear my Law, O my people, by law meaning the ſame thing which in the end of the verſe is called the words of my mouth, i. e. the Pſalm which he is there inditing, as it follows, I will open my mouth into a parable, &c.