“YE ARE GODS”

God has taken the judges and rulers to task because of their unjust exercise of their office. The charge has been made against them, vv. 2-4. They had shown partiality, and had not defended the poor, needy and fatherless. The fatherless are continually spoken of as the proper objects of both mercy and of justice. They had received neither from these rulers. The charges laid against the rulers do not seem to have affected them in the way of remorse and repentance for their evil doings. The divine protest is unavailing. They have hardened their hearts against God, v. 5. Those who should have been the defenders of the poor were in fact their persecutors.

So the Lord passes sentence on them, vv. 6, 7. He describes them as “gods”. The word is “elohim”, the very same word as is so often used for God Himself; in fact, it is the same word as used for God in verse 1. These earthly judges are called “elohim” because the office that they hold and the judgment that they should give are really God’s. They were intended to be the mouthpiece and representatives of God, but instead they sought their own interests and preferment. Their sin consisted in abusing the authority granted to them, and in imagining that it relieved them of responsibility, whereas it really increased it. They were God’s representatives, but for this very reason they were called upon to be pre-eminently just and faithful.

The psalmist saw what the judges did not see—God Himself standing in the midst of His people, judging them Himself and judging the judges, v. 1. So, finally, he appeals to God to judge and exercise His righteous rule over all the earth, v. 8. Since the delegate judges have proved so unfaithful, the psalmist petitions that God should appear in Person and reclaim the powers which had been so wickedly abused.

The prayer in verse 8 is already answered, Acts 17. 31.

Verse 6 of this psalm is found in John 10. 34-38. The Pharisees had charged the Lord with blasphemy in claiming to be the Son of God. He refers to their judges being called “gods”. They were unrighteous judges while He was the One whom the Father had sanctified and sent into the world, and whose work was a witness to His righteousness. He was in His Person and character divine.