Psalms 82:5

They ¹  neither know nor understand. They stumble ²  around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble. ³ 

Ps 11:3; Ps 53:4; Ps 75:3; Pr 1:29; Pr 2:13; Pr 4:19; Ec 2:14; Ec 3:16; Isa 5:7; Mic 3:1; Joh 3:19; Joh 12:35; Ro 1:28; 2Ti 2:19; 1Jo 2:11

¹ sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.

² tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.

³ 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).