Divine Council, Ethics, and Resistance in Psalm 82

Psalm 82 is a mythopoeic psalm that is often overlooked as simplistic, confusing, or just out of place. Across more than a century of scholarship, academics have argued for various interpretations of the first verse, proving only that it is easy to get caught up in the mythical mysteries of the ancient concept of divine council. Approaching Psalm 82 as ethical liturgy, however, reveals a deeply sophisticated, prophetic summons to actively embrace justice for the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised in one’s community. This book explores the origins of Psalm 82, its use as liturgy in early Israelite cultic practice, and its reception as resistance literature in the Second Temple period.