Elohim

===The Divine Council===
{{main|Divine Council}}

{{blockquote|
God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.&nbsp;...

I have said, Ye [are] gods; and all of you [are] children of the most High.

But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.|Psalm 82:1, 6–7 (AV)}}

Marti Steussy, in ''Chalice Introduction to the Old Testament'', discusses: "The first verse of Psalm 82: 'Elohim has taken his place in the divine council.' Here elohim has a singular verb and clearly refers to God. But in verse 6 of the Psalm, God says to the other members of the council, 'You [plural] are elohim.' Here ''elohim'' has to mean gods."<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkP4QlnlEmYC&q=the+divine+council+of+elohim&pg=PA11 |last=Steussy |first=Marti |title=Chalice Introduction to the Old Testament |publisher=Chalice Press |isbn=9780827205666 |year=2013}}</ref>

Mark Smith, referring to this same Psalm, states in ''God in Translation'': "This psalm presents a scene of the gods meeting together in divine council&nbsp;... Elohim stands in the council of El. Among the elohim he pronounces judgment:&nbsp;..."{{sfn|Smith|2010|page=134}}

In ''Hulsean Lectures for...'', H. M. Stephenson discussed Jesus' argument in {{Bibleref2|John 10:34-36||9|John 10:34–36|multi=yes}} concerning {{Bibleref2|Psalm 82:6-7|multi=yes}}. (In answer to the charge of blasphemy Jesus replied:) "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods. If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" – "Now what is the force of this quotation 'I said ye are gods.' It is from the Asaph Psalm which begins 'Elohim hath taken His place in the mighty assembly. In the midst of the Elohim He is judging.{{'"}}<ref>Stephenson, H. M. (1890) [https://books.google.com/books?id=K3tPAAAAYAAJ&q=Ye+are+gods&pg=RA1-PA14 ''Hulsean Lectures for...'' lecture 1, page 14]</ref>