Psalms 82 (KJV)

Chapter Text

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

82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

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

82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

82:7 But 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 nations.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "standeth", "congregation", "mighty", "judgeth", "gods", "long", and "unjustly". 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 KJV 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.