translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PSA

label: NET translator note

text: Or “presides over.”


text: The phrase עֲדַת אֵל (’ adat ’ el , “assembly of El”) appears only here in the OT. (1) Some understand “El” to refer to God himself. In this case he is pictured presiding over his own heavenly assembly. (2) Others take אֵל as a superlative here (“God stands in the great assembly”), as in Pss 36:6 and 80:10 . (3) The present translation assumes this is a reference to the Canaanite high god El, who presided over the Canaanite divine assembly. (See Isa 14:13 , where El’s assembly is called “the stars of El.”) In the Ugaritic myths the phrase ’ dt ’ ilm refers to the “assembly of the gods,” who congregate in King Kirtu’s house, where Baal asks El to bless Kirtu’s house (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends , 91). If the Canaanite divine assembly is referred to here in Ps 82:1 , then the psalm must be understood as a bold polemic against Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, denounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.


text: The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1 ).


text: Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”


text: The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם ( yatom ) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9 ). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9 ; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21 ).


text: Heb “hand.”


text: Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.


text: Heb “said.”


text: Heb “men.” The point in the context is mortality, however, not maleness. sn You will die like mortals . For the concept of a god losing immortality and dying, see Isa 14:12-15 , which alludes to a pagan myth in which the petty god “Shining One, son of the Dawn,” is hurled into Sheol for his hubris.


text: Heb “like one of the rulers.” The comparison does not necessarily imply that they are not rulers. The expression “like one of” can sometimes mean “as one of” ( Gen 49:16 ; Obad 11 ) or “as any other of” ( Judg 16:7, 11 ).


text: The translation assumes that the Qal of נָחַל ( nakhal ) here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect emphasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations” (cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).