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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 82

Psalm 82 is read especially through the theme of justice, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

JusticeWisdomCreation
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 82

1A Psalm by Asaph. God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.

2“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah.

3“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

4Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”

5They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High.

7Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.”

8Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 82

Psalm 82 is read especially through the theme of justice, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book III (Psalms 73–89). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Justice, Wisdom, Creation. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 82

Psalm 82 contains 8 verses and about 117 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A Psalm by Asaph. God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 8 closes: “Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include gods, judge, wicked, weak, poor, earth. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 82

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 82:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes justice, with related themes of Justice, Wisdom, Creation. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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