Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
Defend the cause
The phrase "Defend the cause" in Psalm 82:3 calls for active advocacy and protection. The Hebrew root word here is "שָׁפַט" (shaphat), which means to judge, govern, or vindicate. In the ancient Near Eastern context, judges were expected to be protectors of justice, especially for those who could not defend themselves. This phrase emphasizes the responsibility of leaders and believers to actively engage in justice, reflecting God's own character as a defender of the oppressed. It is a call to action, urging believers to stand up for what is right and to ensure that justice is served.

of the weak and fatherless
The "weak and fatherless" are often mentioned in the Bible as those who are vulnerable and in need of protection. The Hebrew words "דַּל" (dal) for weak and "יָתוֹם" (yathom) for fatherless highlight the social and economic vulnerability of these groups. In ancient Israel, the fatherless were particularly at risk because they lacked a male protector in a patriarchal society. This phrase underscores God's heart for the marginalized and His command for His people to care for those who cannot care for themselves. It is a reminder of the biblical mandate to provide for and protect those who are most vulnerable in society.

uphold the rights
"Uphold the rights" involves maintaining justice and ensuring that the legal and moral entitlements of individuals are respected. The Hebrew word "צָדַק" (tsadaq) means to be just or righteous. This phrase calls believers to ensure that justice is not only a concept but a practice that is actively maintained. It is a call to integrity and righteousness, reflecting God's own nature as a just and righteous judge. Upholding rights is about ensuring that everyone receives fair treatment and that the laws and principles of justice are applied equally to all.

of the afflicted and oppressed
The "afflicted and oppressed" are those who suffer under injustice and exploitation. The Hebrew words "עָנִי" (ani) for afflicted and "רָשַׁע" (rasha) for oppressed describe individuals who are often victims of systemic injustice. In the biblical context, these terms often refer to those who are economically disadvantaged or socially marginalized. This phrase highlights God's concern for those who are suffering and His desire for His people to be agents of His justice and mercy. It is a call to compassion and action, urging believers to work towards alleviating the suffering of those who are oppressed and to stand against systems of injustice.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The ultimate judge who presides over the divine council, calling for justice and righteousness.

2. The Weak and Fatherless
Represents those who are vulnerable and lack protection or support in society.

3. The Afflicted and Oppressed
Individuals who suffer from injustice and exploitation, needing advocacy and defense.

4. Divine Council
A heavenly assembly where God addresses other "gods" or rulers, emphasizing their responsibility to enact justice.

5. Asaph
The attributed author of the Psalm, a leader of one of the temple choirs, who conveys God's message of justice.
Teaching Points
God's Heart for Justice
God is deeply concerned with justice and righteousness, especially for those who are marginalized and vulnerable.

Our Responsibility
As followers of Christ, we are called to actively defend and support those who cannot defend themselves, reflecting God's character.

Practical Advocacy
Engage in practical ways to support the weak and oppressed, such as volunteering, supporting charities, or advocating for policy changes.

Spiritual Reflection
Reflect on personal biases or indifference towards the plight of the vulnerable and seek God's guidance to cultivate a heart of compassion.

Community Involvement
Encourage your church or community group to develop programs or partnerships that focus on helping the fatherless and oppressed.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's character as a defender of the weak influence your view of justice?

2. In what ways can you personally "defend the cause of the weak and fatherless" in your community?

3. How do the teachings in Psalm 82:3 align with the New Testament's call to care for orphans and widows?

4. What are some practical steps your church can take to uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed?

5. Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced injustice. How can Psalm 82:3 guide your response to similar situations in the future?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 10:18
Highlights God's care for the fatherless and widows, emphasizing His justice and love for the vulnerable.

Isaiah 1:17
Calls for learning to do good, seeking justice, and correcting oppression, aligning with the themes of Psalm 82:3.

James 1:27
Describes pure religion as caring for orphans and widows, echoing the call to defend the weak and fatherless.

Proverbs 31:8-9
Urges speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, advocating for the rights of the destitute.
The Claims of the PoorR. Tuck Psalm 82:3
A Solemn RebukeC. Short Psalm 82:1-8
Corruptio Optimi Pessima EstS. Conway Psalm 82:1-8
Magistrates Should Esteem Their Office a Divine InstitutionR. W. Dale, D. D.Psalm 82:1-8
The Supremacy of GodHomilistPsalm 82:1-8
The Utility of MagistracyT. Hall, B. D.Psalm 82:1-8
The Magistrate's DutyT. Hall, B. D.Psalm 82:3-4
People
Asaph, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Afflicted, Cause, Declare, Defend, Destitute, Ear, Fatherless, Fathers, Judge, Justice, Maintain, Needy, Oppressed, Poor, Righteous, Rights, Troubled, Vindicate, Weak
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 82:3

     5310   exploitation
     5361   justice, human
     5449   poverty, remedies
     5480   protection
     5730   orphans

Psalm 82:1-4

     9210   judgment, God's

Psalm 82:2-4

     5293   defence, human

Psalm 82:3-4

     1075   God, justice of
     5326   government
     5448   poverty, attitudes to
     5888   inferiority
     6738   rescue
     8243   ethics, social
     8245   ethics, incentives
     8792   oppression, God's attitude

Library
Thou Shalt not Bear False Witness against Thy Neighbor.
This Commandment seems small, and yet is so great, that he who would rightly keep it must risk and imperil life and limb, goods and honor, friends and all that he has; and yet it includes no more than the work of that small member, the tongue, and is called in German Wahrheit sagen, "telling the truth" and, where there is need, gainsaying lies; so that it forbids many evil works of the tongue. First: those which are committed by speaking, and those which are committed by keeping silent. By speaking,
Dr. Martin Luther—A Treatise on Good Works

His Statement of the Proof of his Messiahship. --His Oneness With
the Father.--He defends his Words from the Old Testament. (John, x., 22-39.) IN the month of December Christ arrived at Jerusalem to attend the Feast of the Dedication. As he had not always alike openly declared himself to be Messiah, he was asked, while walking in Solomon's Porch, by certain Jews, "How long wilt thou hold us in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." We do not know by whom, or in what spirit, this question was asked. In view of the prevalent notions of the Jews in respect
Augustus Neander—The Life of Jesus Christ in Its Historical Connexion

Christ's Interpretation of Psalm cx. , 1 (Mark, xii. , 35-37. )
We return now to the order of the narrative. We are informed by the Evangelist that in the course of these controversies with his opponents Christ put to them the question, how it could be that Messiah was to be the Son of David, and yet David called him "Lord" (Ps. cx., 1). We are not precisely told with what view he proposed the question; though it might, perhaps, be inferred from Matthew's statement, that after he had so answered their captious queries as to put them to shame, he sought in turn
Augustus Neander—The Life of Jesus Christ in Its Historical Connexion

Brief Outline of Ancient Jewish Theological Literature
The arrangements of the synagogue, as hitherto described, combined in a remarkable manner fixedness of order with liberty of the individual. Alike the seasons and the time of public services, their order, the prayers to be offered, and the portions of the law to be read were fixed. On the other hand, between the eighteen "benedictions" said on ordinary days, and the seven repeated on the Sabbaths, free prayer might be inserted; the selection from the prophets, with which the public reading concluded--the
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Notes on the First Century:
Page 1. Line 1. An empty book is like an infant's soul.' Here Traherne may possibly have had in his mind a passage in Bishop Earle's "Microcosmography." In delineating the character of a child, Earle says: "His soul is yet a white paper unscribbled with observations of the world, wherewith at length it becomes a blurred note-book," Page 14. Line 25. The entrance of his words. This sentence is from Psalm cxix. 130. Page 15. Last line of Med. 21. "Insatiableness." This word in Traherne's time was often
Thomas Traherne—Centuries of Meditations

The Meaning
Of the Red Dragon with Seven Heads fighting with Michael about the new-born Child. The first vision of the little book, of which we treated in the eleventh chapter, ran through the whole Apocalyptical course, from the beginning to the end, and that, as we elsewhere observed, to point out its connexion with the seals and trumpets. Now to that vision the remaining prophecies of the same interval, and of the affairs of the Church are to be accommodated, in order to complete the system of the little
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

Of Civil Government.
OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. This chapter consists of two principal heads,--I. General discourse on the necessity, dignity, and use of Civil Government, in opposition to the frantic proceedings of the Anabaptists, sec. 1-3. II. A special exposition of the three leading parts of which Civil Government consists, sec. 4-32. The first part treats of the function of Magistrates, whose authority and calling is proved, sec. 4-7. Next, the three Forms of civil government are added, sec. 8. Thirdly, Consideration
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Unity of God
Q-5: ARE THERE MORE GODS THAN ONE? A: There is but one only, the living and true God. That there is a God has been proved; and those that will not believe the verity of his essence, shall feel the severity of his wrath. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.' Deut 6:6. He is the only God.' Deut 4:49. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thy heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath, there is none else.' A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

At the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple.
ABOUT two months had passed since Jesus had left Jerusalem after the Feast of Tabernacles. Although we must not commit ourselves to such calculations, we may here mention the computation which identifies the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles of that year [4376] with Thursday the 23rd September; the last, the Great Day of the Feast,' with Wednesday the 29th; the Octave of the Feast with the 30th September; and the Sabbath when the man born blind was healed with the 2nd of October. [4377] In that
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

They Shall be Called the Children of God
They shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 In these words the glorious privilege of the saints is set down. Those who have made their peace with God and labour to make peace among brethren, this is the great honour conferred upon them, They shall be called the children of God'. They shall be (called)', that is, they shall be so reputed and esteemed of God. God never miscalls anything. He does not call them children which are no children. Thou shalt be called the prophet of the Highest'
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

In the Last, the Great Day of the Feast'
IT was the last, the great day of the Feast,' and Jesus was once more in the Temple. We can scarcely doubt that it was the concluding day of the Feast, and not, as most modern writers suppose, its Octave, which, in Rabbinic language, was regarded as a festival by itself.' [3987] [3988] But such solemn interest attaches to the Feast, and this occurrence on its last day, that we must try to realise the scene. We have here the only Old Testament type yet unfilfilled; the only Jewish festival which has
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
OR, THE THRONE OF GRACE ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The churches of Christ are very much indebted to the Rev. Charles Doe, for the preservation and publishing of this treatise. It formed one of the ten excellent manuscripts left by Bunyan at his decease, prepared for the press. Having treated on the nature of prayer in his searching work on 'praying with the spirit and with the understanding also,' in which he proves from the sacred scriptures that prayer cannot be merely read or said, but must
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Epistle v. To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor.
To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor. Gregory to Theoctista, &c. With how great devotion my mind prostrates itself before your Venerableness I cannot fully express in words; nor yet do I labour to give utterance to it, since, even though I were silent, you read in your heart your own sense of my devotion. I wonder, however, that you withdrew your countenance, till of late bestowed on me, from this my recent engagement in the pastoral office; wherein, under colour of episcopacy, I have been brought
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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