THE RABBINIC INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 82

AND THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

John 10:34

ACCORDING to Jn. 10:34, Jesus cites Ps. 82:6a in order to defend his
claim that he is the Son of God:
Is it not written in your law, "I said: you are gods"? If he called those people
gods to whom the word of God was revealed — and the Scripture cannot be
set aside — how do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent
into the world "you are blaspheming," because I said "I am the Son of God"?

To what group of so-called "gods" is Jesus referring? The over­

whelming majority of commentators have interpreted this passage as
referring to Israelite judges who were called "gods" because they had
the high responsibility of dispensing justice according to God's Law.
Such an understanding, however, is derived from a line of rabbinic in­
terpretation which is exclusively concerned with the meaning of Ps.
82 n-4. 1
There is another tradition, however, which has developed out of
rabbinic speculation concerning the meaning of Ps. 82:6-7. 2 Since
Jesus is quoting from v. 6a, it would seem more fruitful to explore this
latter possibility.3
Tanh.B *ΠΚ1:9 tells us that the Angel of Death was created for
the nations of the world, but that God had refused him authority over
the Israelites because he had made them gods.4 How was this accom­
plished? 'Abodah Zarah 5a states that the Israelites were protected
from the power of death when God gave them the Torah. This is best
summarized in Midrash Rabbah Ex. 32:7:
Another explanation of "Behold I send an angel," it is written, "I said: ye
are godlike beings, and all of you sons of the Most High." When Israel stood
1
Cf. the Midrash on Psalm 82 (tr. by W. G. Braude in Yale Judaica Series 13
[1959]); Sanh. 6b-7a; Sotah 47b; and Targum Jonathan.
2
Strack-Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Mid-
rasch, II, 543.
8
Very few Fourth Gospel commentaries have paid any attention to it. R.
Bultmann and A. Schlatter allude to the reference in Strack-Billerbeck without
comment. N. Dahl ("The Johannine Church and History," Current Issues in New
Testament Interpretation [ed. by W. Klassen and G. F. Snyder; 1962], i33f.)
accepts it, as does A. T. Hanson, "John's Citation of Psalm 82," New Testament
Studies 11 (1964/65), 160. By far the fullest treatment is given in C. K. Barrett,
The Gospel According to John (1956).
* Strack-Billerbeck, III, 18. Cf. also Tanh. HWl >3 115a, cited ibid., 508.
 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 187
at Sinai and received the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the
Angel of Death, "Thou hast power over all the heathen but not over this
people, for they are my portion, and just as I live forever, so will my children
be eternal, as it says, 'When the Most High gave to the nations their inheri­
tance . . . for the portion of the Lord is his people, Jacob the lot of his
5
inheritance.' "

Thus we have the tradition that Israel was protected from the Angel
of Death at Mt. Sinai. When God took Israel as his allotment, he
made his people godlike through giving them the Torah. The Angel
of Death was instead given power over the other nations.
'Abodah Zarah 5a states further that the Israelites were corrupt in
their actions, and so God told them that they would die like men. Thus
we have a neat transition from verse 6 ("you are gods") to verse 7
("you shall die like men"). What type of sin is being described here?
Is it a general comment on man's fallen state? Or is the rabbinic tradi­
tion alluding to some specific event? Midrash Rabbah Lev. 4:1 tells
us that the Israelites' godlike status was short-lived. No sooner had
they been given the Torah than they sinned by making the golden calf.
So God spoke to the Israelites: if they had not sinned, they would have
lived eternally, because he had given them the title of "gods" and
"sons of the Most High." But Israel, through making the golden calf,
had shown that she wanted to die, so "indeed like DTK shall ye die." 6
What we have here is a new Fall story.7 The ancient Israelites were
thought to have been set apart as gods when they received the Torah
at Mt. Sinai. But their sin with the golden calf caused them to become
mortal once again. The rabbis have created a myth and hinged it to
an event in Israel's history in order to clarify the meaning of Ps.
82:6-7.
Jesus describes the so-called "gods" as htdvovs . . . προς oôs ό λόγο*
τον θεοΰ èyévero. The characteristic which qualifies these people as gods,
and identifies them as a group, is the fact that the Word of God had
come to them. The theory that Jesus is referring to Israelite judges is
most difficult to accept. The verb èycWo with προ* plus the accusative
of direction signifies the gift of a divine revelation throughout the Old
(LXX) and New Testaments.8
There was never a time in Old Testament history when God re-
5
Soncino edition, by H. Freedman and M. Simon, 411.
e
Cf. also Midrash Rabbah Qohel. 3:16 and Midrash Rabbah Num. 16:24.
7
'Abodah Zarah 5a maintains that the rebellion at Sinai brought sex into the
world.
8
W. Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon . . . (tr. and ed. by Arndt-Gingrich;
1957), 159-
188 HARVARD THEOLOGICAL REVIEW
vealed his word to a group of judges. They are rather the interpreters
of his word — those to whom the Torah has been entrusted. This word
was revealed (èycWo . . . ττρο?) to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai through
Moses. There is no evidence in rabbinic tradition that God named the
Israelite judges gods. Whenever Ps. 82:6-7 is used out of context by
the rabbis, as Jesus has done, it always refers to the Israelites' being
9
named gods when they received the Law at Sinai.
Thus we may assume that this mythological interpretation of Ps.
82:6-7 was known by Palestinian Jews of the first century, and that it
10
was used according to Jn. io:34ff. in Jewish-Christian controversy.

THE PROLOGUE

There is a striking parallel between the "Sinai myth" and the Pro­
logue of the Fourth Gospel. Both describe the coming of God's Word
into the world, and the effect which it had upon those who received it.
In both cases they became godlike.11 In both cases God's Word met
with rejection, although for the writer of the Fourth Gospel the possi­
bility for men to become τέκνα $€ov is still open to those who receive it.
Is the "Sinai myth" a part of the Prologue's conceptual background?
If so, how did it become such?
As many scholars have pointed out, it is impossible to understand
the Johannine Prologue without taking note of the role which had been
ascribed to personified Wisdom within Judaism.12 She was préexistent,
dwelling with God, and became the agent through whom God created
9
Of course the phrase ô \6yos τον θεοϋ êyéveTo vpòs . . . applies to other
prophets in the LXX (Jer. 1:2,11, 13:8; Ez. 6:1; Hos. 1:1). Thus it might be
possible to assume that Jesus was referring to all the Old Testament prophets to
whom the Word of the Lord had been revealed (cf. Wisd. 7:24-27). But the use
of the aorist, plus the fact that God spoke to them as a group, calling them gods,
would seem to indicate a specific event rather than a repeated occurrence.
10
The above-cited references from the Talmud and Midrashim were not written
down until well into the Christian era. We may assume, however, that these tradi-
tions were known during the time of Jesus in some form because they were so
widespread and varied in many types of rabbinic literature. Our best proof, of
course, is Jn. 10:340. For the acquaintance of the Fourth Gospel writer with
rabbinical exegesis and argumentation, cf. C. H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the
Fourth Gospel (1954), 76ff.
u
The Semitic background of τέκνα θεοϋ (Jn. 1:12) ( = Heb. [D'Pl'Wl] D^K 1»)
need not indicate that God is the physical progenitor, but rather that such beings
belong to the genus "divinity." The phrase has far more mythological overtones
than the English "children of God" would suggest.
12
Cf. esp. R. Bultmann, "Der religionsgeschichtliche Hintergrund des Prologs
zum Johannes-Evangelium," EUCHARISTERION II (Festschrift H. Gunkel;
1923), 6-19.
 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 189
13
the universe. She then came down from heaven in order to find a
dwelling place with man.
Scholars have not recognized, however, the extent to which the
myth of Wisdom's descent has been influenced by the above-described
"Sinai myth." Sir. 24:2ff. moves very easily from Wisdom's role in
the Creation to her seeking a place to tabernacle on earth. She had won
possession of all the earth, and sought a ptPD among every people and
nation. After she had been refused by the rest of the world,14 God
commanded her to take Israel as a ϊΪ7Πλ15
However, the myth in this form cannot exactly be paralleled with
what we find in the Prologue, because Jn. ι : 11 tells of the Logos' re­
jection even among his own people. The Book of Enoch gives us help
here, supplying the missing link. We find that the myth has been fur­
ther developed in 42:iff.: Wisdom was unable to find a dwelling place
on earth, and so returned to her place in heaven among the angels.16
Why did Wisdom reascend into heaven, after having been assigned
to Israel? We suggest that a major contributing factor was the rab­
binical exegesis of Ps. 82:6-7, which linked the immortality and con­
sequent mortality of the Israelites to their being given, and quickly
rejecting, the Torah at Sinai. The point at which these myths influ­
enced one another is in the emphasis of both upon Israel as God's
special rfrru. In Midrash Rabbah Ex. 32:7 God saves Israel from the
Angel of Death at Sinai by taking Israel as his Π^Γΰ, while in Sirach
(24:20.) Israel is given to Wisdom as a ΠίΓΰ.17
When Sophia came to Israel, she was rejected. Midrash Rabbah
Lev. 11:3 offers another proof that the "descent of Wisdom" myth has
been linked with the "Sinai myth." When Torah-Sophia was rejected
at Sinai by the ungrateful Israelites, she rescinded the immortality
M
Prov. 3:i9f., 8:22-31; Sir. 1:1-9, 24:3-6; Wisd. 7:22, 8:3.
"Rabbinic literature expands this by stating that the Torah was first offered
to all the other nations, but was accepted by Israel alone. Cf. R. H. Charles (ed.),
The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, 1,397, ad Sir. 24:7.
15
Bar. 3:29-4:1 continues this theme, specifically identifying Sophia with the
Torah. We find, however, that the Sinai myth has been generalized so that all
who obey its words shall have life, while those who turn aside shall die. Cf. also
Wisd. 6:18-19, 7:25-27.
"Bultmann, op. cit., 10, disagrees. He believes that the original myth told of
Wisdom's seeking a place on earth, being rejected by mankind, and thus reascend-
ing into heaven (as reflected in En. 42: iff.). Wisdom's finding a rrtriJ in Israel,
he maintains, is a later development of the myth. However, there is no way to
prove this. Our interpretation would seem to be the more natural progression.
"Another element which would tie the descent of Wisdom to the Sinai event
is the emphasis in the Wisdom myth upon her seeking a place to "tabernacle"; see
below.
190 HARVARD THEOLOGICAL REVIEW
which she had granted them: "thus you shall die like men" (Ps. 82:7).
Why are the Israelites now mortal? Because the gift of Torah-Sophia,
which had made them godlike, has been taken away from them. It is
thus a natural progression of the myth to assume that Wisdom, with
her feathers ruffled from the rebuff, would give up on Israel as her
fftrU and reascend into heaven.
Although Wisdom had departed from the earth after her rejection,
her return in the New Age, and bestowal upon the elect, was expected
among the Jews.18 Thus it is not surprising that some attempt was
made in the early church to identify Jesus with Wisdom.19 Paul does
this.20 We also find elements in the Synoptic Gospels which identify
Jesus with Wisdom.21 The writer of the Johannine Prologue is ex-
pressing a very early tradition which interpreted the Christ-event in
terms of the return of préexistent Wisdom, through whom the world
was created, but whom the world (and especially Israel) had previ-
ously rejected, when offered the opportunity of salvation.
We have tried to establish that the "descent of Wisdom" myth
had become linked with, or at least influenced by, the "Sinai myth" in
rabbinic Judaism. This interaction must have occurred before the
Johannine Prologue was composed. Otherwise we are at a loss to ex-
plain the well-known "Sinaisms" in the Prologue: a) the Logos' "taber-
nacling22 in our midst" (1:14), which refers both to the descent of
Yahweh's TIM in Ex. 24:16 (WD ΊΠ ty WW TIM p ^ l ) , and also
to Wisdom's descent from heaven to seek a place in which to tabernacle
(Sir. 24:7ff.; En. 42:2); b) the Logos' being described as "full of
χάρις και αλήθεια," which is a paraphrasing of Yahweh's revelation of his
nature (DDKI *TDH) when he passed before Moses (Ex. 34:6); 2 3
c) the stress on the appearance of God's δό£α ( = TIM), which was re­
vealed to Moses only in part (Ex. 33:i8ff.), 24 but fully to those who
have received Jesus Christ (1:14,16-18) ; d) the contrast between what
was revealed through Moses and what was revealed through Jesus
Christ (1:17). Although rabbinic literature claimed that the Torah
revealed through Moses brought man eternal life, the Prologue writer

13
En. 5:8, 48:1, 49:1; 4 Ezr. 8:52.
"Pointed
20
out by R. M. Grant, Gnosticism and Early Christianity (1959), i52ff.
21
1 Cor. 1:24, 2:6f.
Mt. 11:25-30; also Lk. 11:49, cf. Mt. 23:34.
^Although σκηνόω is not always used in the LXX to translate Î^P, it has the
same meaning and sound. Surely the Fourth Gospel writer had this concept in
mind.
28
24
Cf. Dodd, op. cit., 82 ; and Barrett, op. cit., 139.
Or, according to the Evangelist (1:18), not at all.
 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 191
maintains that Moses was given only the νόμος, which cannot make men
τέκνα θεού. But God's true nature (ή χάρις και ή αλήθεια) is revealed to
those who receive (ελαβον, ι : ΐ 2 ; ελάβομεν, i : i 6 ) Jesus Christ. And
through him comes the gift of eternal life.
Thus the Prologue writer is flatly denying the affirmation which is
made in the "Sinai-Wisdom" myth(s). Yet he uses it in order to present
Jesus Christ as the true Logos through whom there is a renewed possi­
bility of becoming τέκνα θεοϋ.25
JAMES S. ACKERMAN
STTLLMAN COLLEGE
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA
25
It is beyond the scope of this paper to enter the debate regarding the origin
of the Johannine Prologue. Bultmann's thesis that it is ultimately derived from
a pagan myth seems indisputable. However, we believe that our observations have
shown that the pagan myth of Wisdom's descent had been incorporated into
Jewish thought by the time of Jesus, and reworked into a "Redeemer myth" as it
was related to speculation over the meaning of Ps. 82:6-7 — thus strengthening
the arguments of those scholars who see Palestinian Judaism as the background
for the Prologue.
 ^ s
Copyright and Use:

As an ATLAS user, you may print, download, or send articles for individual use
according to fair use as defined by U.S. and international copyright law and as
otherwise authorized under your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement.

No content may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without the
copyright holder(s)' express written permission. Any use, decompiling,
reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be a
violation of copyright law.

This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS collection with permission
from the copyright holder(s). The copyright holder for an entire issue of a journal
typically is the journal owner, who also may own the copyright in each article. However,
for certain articles, the author of the article may maintain the copyright in the article.
Please contact the copyright holder(s) to request permission to use an article or specific
work for any use not covered by the fair use provisions of the copyright laws or covered
by your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement. For information regarding the
copyright holder(s), please refer to the copyright information in the journal, if available,
or contact ATLA to request contact information for the copyright holder(s).

About ATLAS:

The ATLA Serials (ATLAS®) collection contains electronic versions of previously

published religion and theology journals reproduced with permission. The ATLAS
collection is owned and managed by the American Theological Library Association
(ATLA) and received initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The design and final form of this electronic document is the property of the American
Theological Library Association.