Psalms 82 (ASV)

Chapter Text

82:1 God standeth in the congregation of God; He judgeth among the gods.

82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, And respect the persons of the wicked? Selah

82:3 Judge the poor and fatherless: Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

82:4 Rescue the poor and needy: Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

82:5 They know not, neither do they understand; They walk to and fro in darkness: All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

82:6 I said, Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High.

82:7 Nevertheless ye shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.

82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For thou shalt inherit all the nations. Psalm 83 A song. A Psalm of Asaph.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "standeth", "congregation", "judgeth", "gods", "long", "unjustly", and "respect". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "standeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "darkness" and "standeth" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "darkness" and "standeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.