The psalm opens with the scene in heaven where God takes his place in the heavenly council, that is, his place as chief; before him are assembled all the ʾelohim to hear his decision. It seems fairly evident that the ʾelohim in line b are the gods of the other nations (see discussion of “sons of gods” in 29.1). Some take them to be Israel’s judges (so the Targum; see Kirkpatrick), while others think they are Israel’s foreign oppressors (see Briggs). But the language of verses 6-7 makes it quite clear that these are divine beings. (For a similar depiction of the heavenly council, see Job 1–2; and see references in commentaries.) New Jerusalem Bible has “divine beings,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “heavenly judges” (in verse 6 it has “gods”); it is better to translate “gods” both in verse 1 and in verse 6. The focus in this verse is upon God, who speaks to the assembled gods, and the picture may be represented in some languages as “God sits on his stool (royal throne) before the gods.” Translators may have difficulty indicating the nature of the gods in this psalm. They are not looked upon by the writer as simply “false gods,” but rather divine creatures that have responsibilities but have failed in their duties under God.1-2 New International Version in verses 1 and 6 translates “gods” with quotation marks around the word (verse 1: he gives judgment among the “gods”; verse 6 “I said, ‘You are “gods” ’ ”). The function of these quotation marks is to indicate that the word is being used in a sense different from its normal one. What this device means here is that the psalmist (in verse 1) and God (verse 6) address these beings as “gods” when they really are not gods (see the explanatory footnote in the New International Version Study Edition). Such a device in translation should not be imitated (New International Version uses it also elsewhere). In some languages there is no term to represent a “god,” whether in the singular or plural. It is, however, sometimes possible to make a contrast between the “great chief spirit,” which is “God,” and the “small spirit,” which is “god.” In the present context it may be possible to speak of “heavenly beings” or “angels.” Since the reference is to the gods in the divine council, some translators find it more convenient to speak of “God’s servants,” “God’s messengers,” or “the ones who serve God in heaven.”

He holds judgment translates the verb shafat (see 7.8); it may mean here “judges” (New American Bible), “pronounces judgment” (New Jerusalem Bible), “hands down sentence” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), or “administers justice.” Holds judgment is sometimes rendered idiomatically as “he cuts the affairs” or “he cuts the words.”

Verse 2 in Hebrew is in the form of a question; it is not, however, a request for information, but a rebuke for the failure of the gods to judge justly, which Good News Translation has represented by a command for them to stop acting as they have. Most translations keep the rhetorical question. Show partiality to the wicked must often be recast in translation, and sometimes expressed as a negative; for example, “not take the side of the wicked” or “not give your hand to the wicked.” This may also be rendered as “how long will you treat the wicked as though they were not wicked?”

For Selah see 3.2.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .