Psalms 82:5

Psalms 82:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
• New International Version (NIV)“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

Context of Psalms 82:5

3“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. 4Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core. 6I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. 7But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’”

Psalms 82:5 word by word

לֹ֤א יָֽדְע֨וּ׀ וְלֹ֥א יָבִ֗ינוּ בַּחֲשֵׁכָ֥ה יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ יִ֝מּ֗וֹטוּ כָּל־מ֥וֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not, neither will they understandבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• they walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• on in darknessחֲשֵׁכָהchăshêkâh chăshêykâh · darknessH2825
• all the foundationsמוֹסָדmôsâd · foundationH4144
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• are out of courseמוֹטmôţ · to shakeH4131

Cross-references for Psalms 82:5

• Psalms 53:4Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to God.
• Proverbs 1:29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord.
• Micah 3:1I said, “Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,
• Romans 1:28Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
• Proverbs 2:13These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.
• Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
• Ecclesiastes 2:14For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.
• John 3:19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
• John 12:35Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
• 1 John 2:11But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
• Psalms 11:3The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”
• Psalms 75:3When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. Interlude
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt!
• Isaiah 5:7The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.
• 2 Timothy 2:19But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

Commentaries on Psalms 82:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They know not - The judges are not acquainted with the law of God, on which all their decisions should be founded. Neither will they understand - They are ignorant and do not wish to be instructed. They will not learn; they cannot teach. Happy England! How different from Judea, even in the days of Jehoshaphat! All thy judges are learned, righteous, and impartial. Never did greater men in their profession dignify any land or country - (1822). All the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5They know not, neither will they understand - This is designed still further to characterize the magistrates at the time referred to in the psalm. They not merely judged unjustly, and were not merely partial in the administration of justice Psalm 82:2, but they did not desire to understand their duty, and the true principles on which justice should be administered. They were at no pains to inform themselves, either in regard to those principles, or in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Unjust oppressors cannot bring or restore order. They wander about in darkness, unmoved by circumstances, even when the whole world order falls apart around them (compare Psalm 11:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. By the wilful ignorance and negligence of judges, anarchy ensues (Psa 11:3; 75:3). out of course--(Compare Margin; Psa 9:6; 62:2).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 82:5

• Blindness
• Impenitence

In the dictionaries

• Asaph
• Psalms
• Angel
• Course
• Dark; Darkness
• God
• Korahites; Sons of Korah
• Psalms, Book of

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