John Calvin says the
use of “gods” for rulers and those in authority is a synecdoche. Synecdoche is a
figure of speech in which a
part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general
or the general for the special, as in ten sail for ten ships or a
Rockefeller for a rich man.
Psalm
82:1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He
judges among the gods. 2 How
long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3
Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4
Deliver the poor and needy; Free them
from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are
unstable. 6 I said, “You 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 You shall inherit all nations.
Calvin notes that the following passages “in
the Fifth Commandment are comprised by synecdoche
all superiors, in authority.”
Lev
19:32 You shall rise before the gray headed and honor
the presence of an old man, and fear your God [gods]: I am the LORD.
Deut
16:18 You shall appoint judges and officers in all
your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and
they shall judge the people with just judgment. [Republican government]
Deut
20:9 And so it shall be, when the officers have
finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to
lead the people.
John
10:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Is
it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You
are gods”’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and
sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of
God’?”
Exodus
22:28
“You shall not revile God [Hebrew: the gods], nor curse a ruler of your people.”
Ge 6:2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for
themselves of all whom they chose.
Gen
6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days,
and also afterward, when the sons of God
came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were
the mighty men who were of old, men
of renown.
Job
1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
Job
2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the
LORD.
The Host of Heaven
1Ki
22:19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of
the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.
Eph
3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of
God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers
in the heavenly places,
Eph
6:12 NKJV For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians
6:12 ESV For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Dan
10:20-21 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to
you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will
tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by
my side against these except Michael,
your prince.”
Terms Used For “gods” In Scripture
the congregation of the mighty
gods
children of the Most High.
Sons of God
the gray headed
judges and officers
rulers
the host of heaven
principalities and powers
spiritual forces of evil
prince of Persia
prince of Greece
Michael, your prince
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