82:2 He says, 1 “How long will you make unjust legal decisions
and show favoritism to the wicked? 2 (Selah)
82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! 3
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!
82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!
Deliver them from the power 4 of the wicked!
82:5 They 5 neither know nor understand.
They stumble 6 around in the dark,
while all the foundations of the earth crumble. 7
1 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1).
2 tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”
3 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
4 tn Heb “hand.”
5 sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.
6 tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.
7 sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in widespread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world (the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth crumble).