God’s Word Translation
Psalms 82:2
2“How long are you going to judge unfairly? How long are you going to side with wicked people?” Selah
Psalms 82:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
- New International Version (NIV)“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
- New King James Version (NKJV)How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Context of Psalms 82:2
1God takes his place in his own assembly. He pronounces judgment among the gods: “How long are you going to judge unfairly? How long are you going to side with wicked people?” Selah 3Defend weak people and orphans. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor. 4Rescue weak and needy people. Help them escape the power of wicked people.
Read all of Psalms 82Psalms 82:2 word by word
עַד־מָתַ֥י תִּשְׁפְּטוּ־עָ֑וֶל וּפְנֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים תִּשְׂאוּ־סֶֽלָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 82:2
- Psalms 62:3How long will all of you attack a person? How long will you try to murder him, as though he were a leaning wall or a sagging fence?
- Exodus 10:3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself in my presence? Let my people go to worship me.
- 1 Kings 18:21Elijah stood up in front of all the people and asked them, “How long will you try to have it both ways? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.
- Matthew 17:17Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!”
- Psalms 58:1Do you rulers really give fair verdicts? Do you judge Adam’s descendants fairly?
- Exodus 23:6“Never deny justice to poor people in court.
- Leviticus 19:15“Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly.
- Micah 3:1Then I said: Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel. You should know justice.
- Deuteronomy 1:17Be impartial in your decisions. Listen to the least important people the same way you listen to the most important people. Never be afraid of anyone, since your decisions come from God. You may bring me any case that’s too hard for you, and I will hear it.”
- 2 Chronicles 19:7May you have the fear of the Lord in you. Be careful about what you do. The Lord our God is never unjust. He is impartial and never takes bribes.”
- Job 34:19The one who is righteous and mighty does not grant special favors to princes or prefer important people over poor people because his hands made them all.
- Proverbs 18:5It is not good to be partial toward a wicked person, thereby depriving an innocent person of justice.
- Galatians 2:6Those who were recognized as important people didn’t add a single thing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God doesn’t play favorites.)
Commentaries on Psalms 82:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Accept the persons of the wicked? - "Lift up their faces," encourage them in their oppressions. Selah - "Mark this:" ye do it, and sorely sLall ye suffer for it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2How 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Because justice defines God’s rule (Psalm 89:4), he does not support the wicked. The psalmist is confused by this situation and cries out to God to bring justice (Psalm 82:3–4, 8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. accept the persons--literally, "lift up the faces," that is, from dejection, or admit to favor and communion, regardless of merit (Le 19:15; Pr 18:5).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 82:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 82
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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