Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 82:2
How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
2. accept the persons ] Or, as R.V., respect the persons, shewing partiality to the rich and powerful. Strict impartiality in the administration of justice is frequently enjoined in the Law. Favouring the poor is condemned as well as favouring the rich. See Exo 23:2-3; Exo 23:6-8; Lev 19:15; Lev 19:35; Deu 1:17; Deu 16:18 ff.: cp. Pro 18:5; Pro 24:23. The music strikes up to emphasise the question, and as it were give time for an answer. But the judges have no defence, and God proceeds to remind them of their duty.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2 4. God speaks, arraigning the judges for injustice and partiality, and bidding them perform their duties faithfully.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
How long will ye judge unjustly – literally, Judge evil. This is designed, evidently, to denote the prevailing character of the magistrates at the time when the psalm was written. Unhappily such occasions occur very often in the course of human affairs.
And accept the persons of the wicked? – literally, Lift up, or bear, the faces of the wicked. The meaning is, that they showed favor or partiality to wicked people; they did not decide cases according to truth, but were influenced by a regard for particular persons on account of their rank, their position, their wealth, or their relation to themselves. This is a common phrase in the Scriptures to denote favoritism or partiality. Job 34:19; Act 10:34; Rom 2:11; 1Pe 1:17; Lev 19:15; Deu 1:17.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 82:2
How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?
Magistrates rebuked for unjust judgment
1. The sin reproved in general, and that is unjust judgment,–a sin most peculiar to judges. To be covetous, envious, passionate, and proud, is evil; but to judge unjustly, to justify the wicked, and condemn the just is not only abominable, but an abomination in the abstract (Pro 17:15). This is iniquity and perverseness with a witness.
2. The duration of their sin, implied in how long? It implies that they had for a long time persevered in this practice, and therefore he doth not simply say, ye do unjustly, but how long will ye do unjustly? The interrogation is a vehement negation, ye ought in no wise to continue so long in your injustice as you have done.
3. The generality of the sinners implied in ye; how long will ye, i.e. all of ye, judge unjustly? There might be some few, some gleanings, as the prophet speaks (Mic 7:1-2), of just judges, but the generality was very corrupt.
4. An exegesis, an illustration, or, if you will, an aggravation of what went before. Ye judge unjustly. What is that? Why, ye accept the persons of the wicked, ye admire their persons, ye favour their faces, ye plead their causes; but the cause of the poor and the righteous man cannot be heard. In the original it is, Ye accept the face of the wicked. Now, to accept the face of a man is a Hebrew phrase, and signifies a showing favour and respect to a man (Gen 19:22).
Observations:
1. Even great men, when they go astray, must be sharply reproved. But for this great wisdom and prudence is required.
2. Continuance in evil is a great evil. How long, saith God, will ye judge unjustly? To do an unjust act is ill, but to persevere for many years in acting unrighteousness is the height of evil. As perseverance in goodness is the crown of goodness (Job 2:3), so perseverance in sin is sin in grain; it is of a deep dye; it is hardly, if ever, set out again.
3. It is no wonder to see judges judge unjustly. They did so here, and God complains of such elsewhere (Isa 1:23; Jer 5:1; Mic 3:9).
4. Few great men are good men. They are subject to great temptations, and so to great corruptions.
5. Perverting of judgment is a great sin (Eze 22:6-7; Isa 5:6-7; Jer 5:28-29; Amo 2:6; Amo 5:6-7; Amo 5:11; Mal 3:5).
6. Magistrates must judge impartially. They must not respect persons but causes. They must look more on the face of the cause than the face of the man. This respecting of persons is not good, saith Solomon, that is, it is very bad (Pro 24:23). It is a sin oft forbidden (Deu 1:17; Deu 16:19; Job 13:8; Job 13:10; 2Ch 19:6-7; Pro 18:5; Pro 28:21; Jam 2:9; Jud 1:16), Men must not judge according to any outward appearance or quality of the person that appears before them, but according to the equity of the cause (Joh 7:24). (T. Hall, B. D.)
Corrupt judges
Catiline, being prosecuted for some great offence, corrupted the judges. When they had given their verdict, though he was acquitted only by a majority of two, he said he had put himself to a needless expense in bribing one of those judges, for it would have been sufficient to have had a majority of one. (Plutarchs Cicero.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. Accept the persons of the wicked?] “Lift up their faces,” encourage them in their oppressions.
Selah.] “Mark this:” ye do it, and sorely shall ye suffer for it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The psalmist speaketh to them in Gods name, and reproves them for their continued and resolved unrighteousness in their public administrations.
Accept the persons, by overlooking the merits of the cause, and giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. accept the personsliterally,”lift up the faces,” that is, from dejection, or admit tofavor and communion, regardless of merit (Lev 19:15;Pro 18:5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How long will ye judge unjustly,…. These are the words not of the psalmist, but of the divine Person that stands in the congregation of the mighty, and judges among the gods; calling the unjust judges to an account, and reproving them for their unrighteous proceedings and perversion of justice, in which they had long continued, and which was an aggravation of their sin; this is very applicable to the rulers and judges of the Jewish nation in the times of Christ, who had long dealt very unjustly, and continued to do so; they judged wrong judgment, or judgment of iniquity, as Aben Ezra renders it, both in civil and ecclesiastical things; their judgment was depraved concerning the law, which they transgressed and made void by adhering to the traditions of the elders; they passed an unrighteous judgment on John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, rejecting his baptism, and calling him a devil; and upon Christ himself, adjudging him to death for crimes he was not guilty of; and upon his followers, whom they cast out of the synagogue; the character of an unjust judge see in Lu 18:2,
and accept the persons of the wicked? gave the cause in favour of them, and against the righteous, because they were rich, or related to them, or had bribes from them, contrary to the law in De 16:19, so the judges among the Jews, in Christ’s time, judged according to appearance, the outward circumstances of men, and not righteous judgment, as our Lord suggests, Joh 7:24.
Selah. [See comments on Ps 3:2].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2 How long will ye judge unjustly? Many suppose that God is here introduced speaking, and that these are the words which he utters from his throne of judgment. But I would rather consider the prophet himself as the speaker, who, in order to prepare the way for administering a rebuke, had spoken in the manner in which he did in the first verse. Kings may lift up their heads above the clouds, but they, as well as the rest of mankind, are under the government of God; and such being the case, it is in vain for them arrogantly to struggle to obtain exemption from the obligations of reason. Yet this is what they do. Although tyrants are amongst the basest of men, and occupy their exalted station by detestable treason, yet if any servant of God has the fortitude to open his mouth against them, they immediately attempt to shelter themselves by appealing to the sacred name of God, as if great wrong had been done to them. Thus, whilst they persuade themselves that they are privileged with exemption from the law to which the rest of mankind are subject, they endeavor to deprive the common people of divine truth and its ministers. In short, they think that there can be no sovereignty unless where uncontrolled license is enjoyed. But let this principle be once established, “That God rules among them,” and then a way is opened up for the admission of divine truth. Accordingly, the prophet, after having thus laid a foundation for his authority, freely inveighs against princes, and reproves the very gross vice of selling themselves to those who unrighteously oppress the poor, and of being gained by bribes to pervert in their administration every principle of justice. He expressly names the wicked; for good men will never attempt to corrupt judges. Moreover, there is a certain devilish frenzy which infatuates the princes of the world, and leads them voluntarily to pay greater respect to wicked men than to the simple and innocent. Even supposing that the wicked continue inactive, and use no endeavors to obtain for themselves favor either by flattery, fraud, bribery, or other artifices; yet those who bear rule are for the most part inclined of themselves to the bad side. The reason why the prophet upbraids them is, that wicked men find more favor at their hands than the good and conscientious.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) How long?What a terrible severity in this Divine Quousque tandem!
The gods
Grow angry with your patience; this their care,
And must be yours, that guilty men escape not;
As crimes do grow, justice should rouse itself.
BEN JONSON.
Judge unjustly.Literally, judge iniquity. For the opposite expression see Psa. 58:1. Lev. 19:15, which lays down the great principle of strictly fair and unbribable justice is evidently in the poets mind, as is shown by the use of the next clause.
Accept the persons.Literally, lift up the faces. An expression arising from the Eastern custom of prostration before a king or judge. The accepted suitor is commanded to lift up his face, i.e., to arise. (Comp. Pro. 18:5, and Jehoshaphats address to the judges, 2Ch. 19:7.) This fine sense of the majesty of incorruptible justice attended Israel throughout its history. (See Sir. 7:6.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(2-4) These verses contain the rebuke addressed by the supreme judge to those abusing the judicial office and function.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. How long will ye judge unjustly God, who stands in the assembly, speaks to the ministers of justice. The “how long” is the first thundertone to the consciences of these corrupt office bearers, and calls their attention back to the law. Lev 19:15; Deu 1:17.
Accept the persons of the wicked Lift up the faces of the wicked; give them assurance and favour, having respect to their persons, which was forbidden in the law. Lev 19:15
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 82:2. Accept the persons To accept persons, is become an established expression, with a known meaning, and therefore may be continued; but the original signifies to lift the faces, to abet and countenance the wicked, and give them undue encouragement. Mudge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Ver. 2. How long will ye judge unjustly ] viz. Through a cyclopical contempt of God’s severity.
Ne pecces, Deus ipse videt.
Will ye represent and express God to the world as a corrupt, crooked, and unrighteous judge?
And accept the persons of the wicked?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
accept the persons. Compare Lev 19:15. Pro 18:5. 2Ch 19:7.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
Selah. Connecting the indictment with the command to judge righteously. See App-66.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 82:2-7
Psa 82:2-7
THE DENUNCIATIONS AND WARNINGS
“How long will ye judge unjustly,
And respect the persons of the wicked?
(Selah)
Judge the poor and fatherless:
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
Rescue the poor and needy:
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
They know not, neither do they understand;
They walk to and fro in darkness:
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I said, Ye are gods,
And all of you sons of the Most High.
Nevertheless, ye shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
“How long will ye judge unjustly” (Psa 82:2)? “These judges are not evil angels, who in later Judaism were regarded as guardians of the nations. Who were they? They were the ones to whom God gave the Law of Moses, the Israelites (See Joh 10:34 ff), particularly the wicked judges upon whom this chapter is focused.
“Judge the poor … fatherless … afflicted … destitute, and deliver them out of the hand of the wicked” (Psa 82:3-4). Many are the Biblical denunciations of Israel’s wicked judges. Zep 3:3 refers to those judges as “evening wolves”; and Amos repeatedly stated that they would sell the poor “for a pair of shoes” (Amo 2:6; Amo 8:6). Furthermore, those prophets were not speaking of “angels” but of the corrupt judges of the chosen people. Those who are familiar with the sordid record cannot be surprised that Jesus founded one of his parables upon the “Unjust Judge.”
“They know not … neither understand … but walk in darkness” (Psa 82:5). This is the statement of God regarding the scandalous judges of Israel. Their ignorance and lack of understanding in view here were in no sense innocent, but willful. As Christ himself explained it, “Their eyes they have closed and their ears they have stopped, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, and should turn again and I should heal them” (Act 18:26-27).
“All the foundations of the earth are shaken” (Psa 82:5). This simply means that with a corrupt judiciary, Israel’s foundation as a nation was already in a very precarious condition. No nation can long survive when the judiciary becomes corrupt.
See the chapter introduction for a full discussion of Psa 82:6.
“Nevertheless, ye shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” (Psa 82:7)
“Ye shall die like men.” This is an unfortunate rendition, because it seems to say that “the angels” alleged to be spoken of here shall even die like human beings die. “The death here is evidently a penalty impending upon these unjust judges from God himself. Though exalted in their position, they were not divine, but human.
To paraphrase this verse, “You shall certainly die just like all other mortals die.”
“This verse contrasts the purely human fate of the unjust judges with the superhuman dignity of their calling.
This mention of death to the unjust judges forbids the notion that angels are addressed; because, the angels of God are not subject to death, except in the case of the fallen angels who followed Satan; and that death will be eternal punishment, not ordinary death.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 82:2. David was speaking for God and to the rulers among the Israelites. They were accused of rendering unjust decisions, and of being swayed by the personal influence of wicked men because of some special advantages offered to them.
Psa 82:3. A poor man may be wrong; but it is also wrong to accuse a poor man falsely and to take advantage of his dependent circumstances.
Psa 82:4. This language shows that David was not pleading for these men merely because they were poor. Deliver implies a condition of oppression and the plea was for their deliverance from it. It was also indicated that their state of oppression had been thrust upon them while they were needy.
Psa 82:5. They still meant the leading men in the nation of Israel. In their blind thirst for power over others they were shutting themselves off from the knowledge of God’s great works. We should not forget, how ever, that, while the first application of these exhortations was to the leaders, the nation as a whole was guilty for suffering things to go on as they were going. Hence the passage as a whole should be applied to all the Jews.
Psa 82:6. This verse was cited by Jesus in Joh 10:34 in his controversy with the Jews. Ye are gods is explained by the second clause of the verse. Every member of a family wears the name of that family. If a family name is Smith then everyone in that family Is a Smith. The family name of which David was writing was God; therefore each Jew was a God, seeing he was one of the children of the Most High. God is the family name of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus is called “God” in Act 20:28.
Psa 82:7. Their being members of a divine family would not save them from human punishment if they conducted themselves like wicked men.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
How: Psa 62:3, Exo 10:3, 1Ki 18:21, Mat 17:17
judge: Psa 58:1, Psa 58:2, Exo 23:6, Exo 23:7, Lev 19:15, Mic 3:1-3, Mic 3:9-12
accept: Deu 1:17, 2Ch 19:7, Job 34:19, Pro 18:5, Gal 2:6
Reciprocal: Exo 23:3 – General Deu 16:18 – Judges Deu 25:1 – General Deu 27:19 – General 2Sa 19:29 – Thou Neh 13:17 – I contended Job 13:10 – reprove Job 29:12 – I delivered Psa 75:4 – I said Psa 76:9 – When Pro 24:23 – It Pro 29:14 – king Ecc 3:16 – General Isa 11:4 – But with Isa 32:7 – deviseth Isa 59:14 – General Jer 5:28 – judge Jer 21:12 – Execute Eze 45:9 – remove Amo 5:15 – establish Zec 7:9 – saying Joh 7:24 – General Act 9:2 – desired Act 10:34 – Of a Act 16:37 – They have Act 23:3 – for Rom 13:4 – he is Phi 4:8 – are just Jam 2:4 – judges
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 82:2. How long will ye judge unjustly? The psalmist speaks to them in Gods name, and reproves them for their continued unrighteousness in their public administrations; and accept the persons of the wicked By overlooking the merits of the cause, and giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person. It appears from Isa 1:23, that the courts of justice were very corrupt in Hezekiahs reign, at which time probably this Psalm was written.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the {b} wicked? Selah.
(b) For thieves and murderers find favour in judgment when the cause of the godly cannot be heard.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. The indictment of the judges 82:2-7
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Israel’s judges were perverting justice. God called them to practice righteous justice. Chisholm believed the king is in view in Psa 82:2-7 rather than God. [Note: Ibid., p. 266, n. 17.] The essence of proper judging was making sure that the defenseless got justice. Israel’s judges, who should have been the wisest of the people, were ignorant of the importance of fair judgment and the consequences of unfair judging. Consequently law and order, the foundations of life on earth, were unstable.