WHY IS THIS DIFFICULT?

Theological Scriptural Background

Why does Jesus quote a Psalm that calls human beings gods, and what does that quotation contribute to his argument?

 Understanding the Saying

When Jesus is accused of blasphemy after saying, “I and the Father are one,” he responds by quoting Psalm 82:6: “I said, you are gods.” The quotation can sound startling. Is Jesus teaching that human beings are literally gods? Is he weakening his own claim by saying that many people can be called divine?

Understanding the argument requires looking first at the psalm Jesus quotes and then at what he does with it.

 Interpretations

Psalm 82 depicts God standing in judgment among figures called elohim, the ordinary Hebrew word for God or gods. These figures are condemned for judging unjustly and failing to defend the weak.

One longstanding interpretation identifies these “gods” as human judges or rulers exercising authority under God. On this reading, Scripture can apply exalted language to human representatives of divine justice without turning them into God in the fullest sense.

Another important interpretation understands Psalm 82 as depicting a heavenly or divine council. The “gods” are supernatural beings subordinate to Israel's God who are themselves called to account for corrupt rule. This interpretation has gained considerable support in modern study of the Hebrew Bible.

Jesus' immediate argument does not require us to settle every question about the original identity of the figures in Psalm 82. His reasoning begins with the fact that Scripture itself can use the word “gods” for beings other than the one supreme God. If Scripture can use such language, his opponents cannot establish a charge of blasphemy merely from his use of the title “Son of God.”

Jesus then distinguishes himself from those mentioned in the psalm. He describes himself as the one whom the Father “sanctified and sent into the world.” His argument is therefore not, “Everyone is God just as I am.” It moves from the scriptural example toward his own distinctive identity and mission.

 Assessment

“You are gods” should not be isolated from Psalm 82 and turned into a general declaration that human beings possess deity. The original psalm itself emphasizes the subordinate status and accountability of those it calls gods.

Whether Psalm 82 originally refers to human rulers or heavenly beings remains debated. Fortunately, Jesus' basic argument does not depend entirely upon choosing between them. Scripture uses the term in a subordinate sense, so the word itself cannot make Jesus' claim blasphemous. John then directs attention toward the much larger question of who Jesus actually is.

Why It Matters

The passage is a useful warning against building theology from a single unusual word without examining its context. Biblical language can use “god” in more than one way. Jesus appeals to that fact not to make everyone divine, but to challenge an accusation of blasphemy and redirect his opponents toward the evidence of his works and his relationship with the Father.

 Sources & Further Reading

Jerome H. Neyrey, ““I Said: You Are Gods”: Psalm 82:6 and John 10”, Journal of Biblical Literature 108, no. 4 (1989), 1989

Provides a focused scholarly study of Psalm 82:6 and its use in John 10:34-36, including the history of Jewish interpretation behind Jesus' “you are gods” argument.

View Source