Is there a Greek, Latin, or English equivalent to Elohim?

[Koheleth]

The Greek does. High priest is αρχιερευς, whereas leader is αρχοντα. The root “αρχ” meaning lead (or high).

Oh yeah. I guess you’re right. I stand corrected. So it’s pretty much a literal translation. “αρχ” / “princeps” / “principal” - “ιερευς” / “sacerdotus” / “priest”.

Neat.

 

[Koheleth]

Yes, as I admitted, the Septuagint does use ‘theos’ for elohim. Why does God say, "Ye are gods, in a Psalm that is speaking of judging the poor and the orphans, if God is not speaking of the God-like authority given to human beings to judge? So my question should really be, in what way are these human beings ‘elohim’?

I think I’d tend to agree with you. As an attorney who has expressed a lament similar to (though far less poetic than) Asaf’s here in Ps. 82, I can sympathize. Rav Avi Baumol provides a good explanation. I especially like his summation: “The poet at once realizes that these judges are not what he dreamt of; they are too mortal, they can fall.”

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cacheDPiuSfRx40J:vbm-torah.org/archive/tehillim/44tuesdaypsalm82.doc+vbm-torah.org/archive/tehillim/44tuesdaypsalm82.doc&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

It is clear from the “mila mancha” (guiding word) that the theme of the psalm is judgment (the root appears four times in different form). One of the fundamental principles that guides society is the development of a justice system. In fact, it is a positive commandment, not only for the Jewish people, but for all peoples who believe in God the creator (see Rambam, Mishne Torah Melakhim 9:14). Thus, it should be a universal ideal to set up communal courts of justice all over the world, in which judgment is carried out by wise, honest and God-fearing, men.

In this psalm, Asaf laments the state the social justice system in his society. For him, judges must be unyielding, impervious people who will not falter at the hands of bribes and evil. At the same time they must judge with the ‘wisdom of Solomon’ to penetrate into the minds of the people.

Permit me to read the Psalm again, this time adding interpretations:

A psalm for (by) Asaf:

(O, how sad our system of justice has become. If only God Himself would take a place on this tribunal; for only God can withstand the biases, the bribery and such.)

If only Elohim came to judge amidst the elohim (judges).

The Torah (ad ha-elohim…) sometimes refers to judges with the same reverence that we reserve for the divine. Why? Because their role is none other than to pass judgment on man, the very job of the Almighty. “Will the judge of all the land not do justice?” (Genesis, 18:25). And yet, “the earth He has given to the children of Man” (Psalms 115:16) - the world is for us to rule, to develop and to live in. Therefore, we appoint judges to rule and decide the fate of man. The intention is that we will choose the most righteous and upstanding members of society for such a lofty task.

(But the state of affairs has sunk to the point where)

“I wish the Lord himself joins this tribunal.”

Why? What has transpired during his time?

Verse 2.

Speaking to the judges or about them: "How long can you judge wrongly? How long will you submit in favor of the evil ones?

It seems to the author that the court is spending its time taking care of the rich, pandering to the higher echelons, while rejecting the misfortunate.

“Instead, judge the poor, the orphan, justify the humble and destitute.”

Not that they should merit the person just because he is poor, which is unacceptable based on Torah law (Leviticus 19:15), rather justify them by listening to their case, by acknowledging them as part of society. In addition, save them from those who take advantage of the destitute, free them from the clutches of the schemers and evildoers. And yet, says the poet to himself:

nobody listens, they do not see, it is as if they walk in darkness, let their establishments dismantle, let them fall from within their impenetrable institutions. I thought you were like Elohims. I thought you could soar to the divine in your wisdom and your justice. Instead you are like mortal man, you shall die, like a simple officer you shall fall.

The poet at once realizes that these judges are not what he dreamt of; they are too mortal, they can fall, and at the same time he wishes their humanness upon them–that they falter and die.

“Let the real God rise and judge the land, for is it not your land to judge?”

Why did our rabbis choose this to be recited every week on Tuesday? The psalm asks God to return to the world, not a distant Creator who leaves man to run the show, for we are too feeble and weak. Man cannot judge; it belongs only to the Omniscient. Man cannot be placed in a high position over others, for his evil inclination is too great, and he can always be bought.

It is a somber realization for the author who once had hoped for the fulfillment of the Torah’s dream that man aspire towards the divine by partaking not only in creating the world, but in judging it and developing society.

Sometimes society feels the urge to “take matters into their own hands.” Sometimes it sets up social norms and mores based on selfish considerations without looking for ideals and higher objectives. It is at times like these when we need a reminder of the great responsibility man has in living in this world of God. We are here to serve and guard, to control and develop, propagate, and promulgate the message of God throughout the land. In so doing our message must be honest, sincere, void of selfish or hedonistic considerations. We must learn to judge like God. Until then, says Asaf, we wait and pray for God to return to His throne of judgment and resume to judge as He once did.

Shabbat shalom.

 

[zarthan]

Koheleth: I must say that your posting almost moved me to tears. Thank you so much for posting Rav Avi’s interpretation of Psalm 82.

(There are a few early church fathers who quote Ps.82:8 “Arise, O God, judge the earth, for yours are all the nations” as a resurrection verse of Jesus Christ.)

 

[zarthan]

Perhaps the question you should be asking is whether the elohim are humans at all.

In answer to your question, Deuteronomy 32:8-9:

The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls differ from the Masoretic here. The LXX says the angels of God in some manuscripts, sons of God in others. The DSS says the sons of God. The idea is that different nations have their national gods, YHWH is (originally) only the God of Israel, but Psalms 82 shows a later monotheistic development, where after the failure of the other gods to be just in their governance, God takes over. This makes much more sense than the idea of human judges when God says in Psalm 82:7 ‘yet like humans you will die’.

So in one scholarly translation, it looks like:

I don’t think it matters if it turns out to be the case that they’re not human judges, since no one builds doctrine out of poetry. It’s not a great blow to monotheism.

Nooj: Good point, and thank you for observation regarding the number of the children of Israel, or ‘elohim’ in Deut. 32:8-9. Also, for pointing out that in some manuscripts of the Septuagint Ps.82:6 is translated ‘angelois’.

I do think that it is possible that Psalm 82 is speaking of human judges, and **also **heavenly beings or angels who were given some sort of authority over the earth.
So it is possible that God in the assembly (synagogue in the Septuagint) judges the human ‘elohim’ of the earth and also the ‘angelois’ (elohim) who are over the nations.

When the apostle Paul speaks about the saints judging ‘angels’, perhaps he had Ps. 82, Ps. 8:5 and Psalm 97:7,9 in mind. In the Septuagint, Ps. 8:5 translates ‘elohim’ as ‘angelois’.

In Psalm 97:7 the Septuagint translates ‘elohim’ as ‘angelois’, but leaves verse 9 as ‘theoi’.
This Psalm is quoted in Heb.1:6 and Ps. 8:5 is quoted in Hebrews 2:6-8.

We have the apostle Paul speaking about principalities and powers in heavenly places that we wrestle against. The prophet Daniel mention how Michael the Archangel wrestled with the ‘Prince over Persia’.

Thank you and shalom.