Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 82:1

"God standeth in the congregation of God; He judgeth among the gods." — Psalms 82:1 (ASV)

Stands. —In the Hebrew a participle, with an official ring about it. (See Isaiah 3:13.) It is used to designate departmental officers (1 Kings 4:5; 1 Kings 4:7; 1 Kings 4:27; 1 Kings 9:23. Compare to 1 Samuel 22:9; Ruth 2:5–6). Thus the psalm opens with the solemn statement that God had taken His official place as president of the bench of judges.

Congregation of the mighty. —Rather, assembly of God, or divine assembly; elsewhere, the congregation of Jehovah (Numbers 27:17; Numbers 31:16; Joshua 22:16–18), i.e., “Israel in its religious character.”

He judges among the gods — i.e., He is among the judges as presiding judge. For gods, applied to men delegated with office from God, see Exodus 21:6, and, possibly, Exodus 22:8–9. (See also Note, Psalms 8:5, and compare to Exodus 4:16; Exodus 7:1.) The custom of designating God’s vicegerents by the Divine name was a very natural one. The whole point of Psalm 82:6 lies in the double meaning the word can bear. (See Note.)