| Psalms 81:1
| A psalm for Asaph. God hath stood in the congregation of gods; and being in the midst of them he judgeth gods.
| Asaph. Josaphat gave the like instructions to his judges, 2 Paralipomenon 19:6. (Kimchi) (Calmet) --- God rejected the Jews in the preceding psalm, and here the reason is assigned. (Theodoret) --- Congregation, or church of the Jews, who were gathered together like cattle, and sought after temporal advantages (St. Augustine, in Psalm 72:23.) alone. (Catec. Trid. Symb.[The Catechism of Trent: The Creed: Article ix.?]) --- This is not exactly true of all, (Hebrews 11:14.) though it might be of the people in general, who seldom raised their thoughts to spiritual delights. (Haydock) --- Of gods. Hebrew, "of God," who presides in his own council, and gives authority to others. (Amama) --- Yet Syriac has, "the angels;" Chaldean, "the just;" Protestants, "the mighty;" and Aquila, "the powerful ones." (Haydock) --- Gods here are put for judges, who act in God's name, Deuteronomy 1:17., and Exodus 22:28. To decide affairs of consequence, the priests and other judges met in the temple; and the Romans did the like, each senator offering incense and wine to the god who was honoured in that place. (Suetonius in Aug. xxxv.) (Calmet) --- All magistrates ought to be equally careful in what they determine, as if they heard God present giving them the following instructions. (Worthington) --- Judgeth gods, or "God, our Saviour, is judged." (Houbigant) --- This bringeth on the reprobation of the Jews, ver. 5, etc. (Berthier)
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