Why does the Bible talk of other gods?
Question:
Good evening!
I have been wondering about certain things in the Bible, specifically the "Divine Council." There are many different verses I can use, but I want to focus on three:
The first being Psalm 82:1:
"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."
I generally don't accept that translation. I prefer to use the term "assembly of the gods" instead of "congregation of the mighty," mainly because the verse originally says:
elohim natsab edah el shaphat qereb elohim
My problem with the translation lies with the word edah, which could mean congregation, but given the next word, "el," which undoubtedly means either god or gods, depending on the context, of course. But if we look at the context here, it says that God, or elohim, stands in front of a gathering of something. "Congregation" only makes sense when there is a shared goal or communal understanding. But Yahweh, as far as I know, does not see himself as equal to the rest of the gods on earth, so assuming a congregation is possibly wrong. Instead, it has to be an assembly... But the next problem I have is that the word "el" is translated as mighty, which in this context doesn't make sense, especially given the verses after verse 1, which clearly don't talk about humans or angels but something more.
The second verse is Job 1:6;
"Now there was a day when 'ben-elohim' came to present themselves before 'Yehova'"
Where it says that the sons of God, along with Satan, are together in one place, I get how this can mean the angels. But we also really can't translate or interpret it like that because then the Genesis verse of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" could sound pretty weird. My point here is: How do we know for a fact that it is the angels being referenced here? Especially since Job likely played off before Moses, given the different pre-Moses rituals and religious principles.
The third and final verse I want to ask about is Deuteronomy 32:8-9
"When Elyon divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated 'ben-adam', he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 'Yahweh's' portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."
I completely understand that God can have many titles: El, Elyon, Elohim, Yahweh, Yahova, El-Shaddai, and many more. But this verse, in particular, is kind of very strange. It says "Elyon" divided the inheritance of the nations. As I said, I get that God can have titles and other names, but the way that it reads from the original Hebrew sounds wrong. What I mean by this is that if Yahweh did the dividing, why would he need to specify that Yahweh's inheritance is Jacob? Would it not just continue talking about "his" as it has been doing the entire two verses? I get there's no direct "his" in the verses, and it's assumed. But that's my point. Why not just assume Yahweh instead of specifying? What I mean is the verse reading:
"When Elyon divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated 'ben-adam', he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. His portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." Why specify Yahweh instead of assuming it's what we've been doing for two verses?
Why are there so many biblical passages that support the existence of other gods, with Yahweh being the only one worthy of worship, as all other gods are subservient to Him? I have other verses that bring up this issue. If these aren't enough, I can provide more and explain my confusion around them.
Thank you for everything you do.
Answer:
Some words have a fixed meaning, and others change meaning depending on the context. In English, the word "bark" can mean vastly different things depending on the context. The mistake you seem to be making is assuming that Hebrew doesn't have words with multiple meanings.
Psalms 82
In two verses (verse 1 and verse 6), the Hebrew word elohim is used to refer to humans. Depending on your translation, it may appear as “gods” or “rulers” at the end of Psalms 82:1.
"God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" (Psalms 82:1-2 NASB).
"God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?" (Psalms 82:1-2 NKJV).
"God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the 'gods': 'How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?'" (Psalms 82:1-2 NIV).
"God takes His stand in the congregation of God; He judges in the midst of gods. How long will you judge unrighteously and show partiality to the wicked?" (Psalms 82:1-2 LSB).
The same Hebrew word, elohim is translated as "gods" in Psalms 82:6.
"I said, 'You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High'" (Psalms 82:6).
This word is often translated as “God” – a reference to the Lord Almighty. A few times, it is used to refer to idols, and then there are a few references that are obviously to people. For example:
"For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing about which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor" (Exodus 22:9 NASB).
Only the American Standard Version translates these words as "God." The others mention "God" as an alternative translation in the footnotes. Jesus quoted Psalms 82:6 and said that this use of elohim, applies to men. "Jesus answered them, 'Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" (John 10:34-36).
The reason these men are referred to with a word normally used for God is that judges speak for God when they decide cases. "He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. He said to the judges, 'Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe'" (II Chronicles 19:5-7). By the way, the word for "judges" is different from the one used in Exodus 22:9 and Psalms 82:2,6. "Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it'" (Deuteronomy 1:16-17).
The Hebrew word el means mighty. The word Elohim is the plural noun form of el. El generally refers to God, the Almighty One. However, it can also refer to mighty people, in particular, people whom God has lent His name because they are giving judgment in God's name. When people appear before God’s appointed judges, they appear before God to receive God’s judgment. Thus, Exodus 22:28 can be translated as God or judges and be correct depending on whether you are talking about the man who represents God as a judge or the power behind the judges.
This use of "gods" to refer to men also appears in the New Testament. "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him" (I Corinthians 8:4-6). Gods represented by idols do not exist, but there are many "gods" (judges or rulers) who represent God on earth.
With this in mind, Psalms 82 warns judges to exercise care when making rulings. God has given them His name to judge the people on His behalf. Yet, these judges must remember they are not the ultimate power. God stands in judgment of them.
The use of the word “stand” is interesting. Normally, judges sit, and the petitioners stand before them (Exodus 18:13). By mentioning that He stands, God is reminding the judges that He will be with the petitioners. He knows the truth. He knows their needs. When it comes between a judge's judgment and the truth, God will side with the people when that is the side of truth. God has no qualms standing against a false judge if need be.
Job 1:6
The phrase "sons of God" can refer to angels or righteous men.
In describing the Creation, God said, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:7). People were not present, which is God's point, but the sons of God shouted for joy over God's creation. This is a reference to the angels.
Righteous people are called "sons of God" in Hosea 1:10. Even in the New Testament, we find, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26).
Thus, the context must be used to decide which group is being described. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' Then Satan answered the LORD and said, 'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it'" (Job 1:6-7). Perhaps this was a group of righteous men who came to worship God, but Satan's answer would sound strange if he was answering God from the Earth. "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Then Satan answered the LORD and said, 'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it'" (Job 2:1-2). This passage adds another fact: Satan came to present himself before God. It is not likely that Satan came to worship God. While I can't conclusively rule out that the sons of God are men, angels fit the narrative better. The only other use of "sons of God" in Job refers to angels, so it is the more probable answer.
That "sons of God" in Job refers to angels has no impact on how the phrase in understood in Genesis.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9
"Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. The LORD alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him" (Deuteronomy 32:7-12).
The fact that "Most High" is used as a synonym for Yahweh is not unusual. "For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken" (Psalms 21:7). You claim that it doesn't make sense to you doesn't change the text or its meaning.
God has always controlled the nations of this world. He determines their boundaries (Acts 17:26), leaving sufficient room for Israel's population. The nation of Israel is one that the Lord has reserved for Himself. "'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel" (Exodus 19:5-6).
Passages in the Bible acknowledge that people create false gods and idols to represent them. This doesn't support the idea that the false gods actually exist. God is clear that they are not real. "However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" (Galatians 4:8-9).
