You have made them a little lower than elohim

[tonychanyt]

NIV, Psalm 8:

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

The Hebrew word here is elohim. It had many meanings.

New Living Translation:

Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

English Standard Version:

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

LXX translated elohim to G32 αγγέλους.

Hebrews 2 used this Greek word from LXX and applied the verse to Jesus:

7 You made him [Jesus] for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor.

This ambiguity of the word elohim came in handy for Jesus when he argued with some Jews.

Psalm 82:

6 I said, ‘You are elohim; you are all sons of the Most High.’

John 10:

33“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’

Jesus made use of the ambiguity: God, gods, or sons of the Most High.

See also

• Is "elohim" singular or plural?

 

[KevinT]

This raises so many questions. Why did Jesus defend His claim to be one with the Father by that text? Does that mean that any mere man can claim to be god??

Confused.

Kt

 

[tonychanyt]

This raises so many questions. Why did Jesus defend His claim to be one with the Father by that text?

Jesus used a common Hebrew logical argument. See The How-Much-More argument

Does that mean that any mere man can claim to be god??

No, only some classes of people, like rulers and judges.