What Does "all the foundations of the earth are out of course" mean?

[Minister Monardo]

Psalms 82:
1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
he judges among the gods.
2 How long will you judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless:
do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy:
rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand;
they walk on in darkness: all the foundations
of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are
children of the most High.
7 But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

 

[childeye 2]

Psalms 82:
1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
he judges among the gods.
2 How long will you judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless:
do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy:
rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand;
they walk on in darkness: all the foundations
of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are
children of the most High.
7 But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

It means to me that all things go off course because no one sees or understands that which upholds all things.

 

[TedT]

5 They know not, neither will they understand;
they walk on in darkness: all the foundations
of the earth are out of course.

ImCo,
The earth was founded on the divinity and power of YHWH but it is peopled by the corrupt and perverse: Romans 1:18 to the end.

 

[Minister Monardo]

It means to me that all things go off course because no one sees or understands that which upholds all things.

ImCo,
The earth was founded on the divinity and power of YHWH but it is peopled by the corrupt and perverse: Romans 1:18 to the end.

The context of the Psalm is the need for justice,
as the foundation of all social order.
Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command
his children and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment;
that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which
He has spoken of him.

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and
David administered judgment and justice to all his people.

 

[childeye 2]

The context of the Psalm is the need for justice,
as the foundation of all social order.
Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command
his children and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment;
that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which
He has spoken of him.

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and
David administered judgment and justice to all his people.

2 How long will you judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

3 Defend the poor and fatherless:
do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy:
rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

The psalm speaks of those who judge unjustly, and describes that unjust judgment, in that they accept the persons of the wicked, rather than defend the poor and needy from the wicked.

5 They know not, neither will they understand;
they walk on in darkness: all the foundations
of the earth are out of course.

My guess is that these who do not see nor understand, probably think they are just. And they probably see the poor and needy as deservedly afflicted by God. The good Samaritan didn't pass by the sight of suffering so as to avoid the call of compassion. I believe compassion is what upholds all things. The needy and the poor come first in just judgment concerning social justice.

1 Samuel 2:8
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

 

[Rachel20]

2 How long will you judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

3 Defend the poor and fatherless:
do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy:
rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Reminds me of one of my favorite passages from Job -

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Job 29:12-17

 

[childeye 2]

Reminds me of one of my favorite passages from Job -

Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Job 29:12-17

Awesome response. Thank you for this.

 

[JohnRemnant]

Psalms 82

Psalm 82
King James Version
1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

In verse 5 The earth out of course in Hebrew means it was moved. The transgressions of the Judges can be said to even cause the very earth itself to totter because of their immorality.

In the NT, this term has a completely and totally different meaning and connotation.

Now I'll comment a bit beyond the original question for this chapter.
Psalm 82
82 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty;
he judgeth among the gods.

The word gods is connected with the word Elohim in verse 1. And its a plural word.
So verse one defines its use in this case, being it can mean earthy rulers or judges.
God is Judging the judges of the earth of mankind. That claim to represent Him.
No matter what position or title, even those who claim to be
leaders or ministers of Gods word yet cover over The Truth,
with traditions of mankind every moment.
God is righteous in His Judgments.
Yet the earthly judges are wrong in theirs, and God is
presenting negatives and positives, condemning them in the process.


(( Earthly judges like used here Exodus 22:9, Exodus 22:28 quoted here Acts 23:5 kjv .
So Moses is so spoken of in this regard, (Exodus 7:1 ).
It is used of idols as representing even a false god too
John 10:34 , John 10:35. ))

Exodus 7:1 kjv
And the Lord said unto Moses, See,
I have made thee a god to Pharaoh:
and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Because when Moses presented Gods words before Pharaoh, it was actually by Aaron given Moses was not always eloquent in speech of the Hebrew language were Aaron was being partly the case. God put Moses in this leadership role or judgeship


2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

((In verse 6, it takes on a possessive form of the word.
You are children of God, and all of you, are children of The Most High. ))

 

[Minister Monardo]

Psalm 82

Welcome to CF John, and thanks for the response.

 

[Minister Monardo]

God put Moses in this leadership role or judgeship

And later would approve of the assigning of the first
70 judges (shaphat) who are also often referred to
using elohim, which you have discussed.
Exodus 22:8 If the thief is not found, then the master
of the house shall be brought to the judges (elohim)
whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
Deuteronomy 1:
16 Then I commanded your judges(shaphat) at that time,
saying, Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge
righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger
who is with him.
17 You shall not show partiality in judgment
(mishpat, from shaphat); you shall hear the small as well
as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence,
for the judgment is God’s.

And so goes the foundations.
Psalms 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?