V.1God rejected the Jews in the preceding psalm, and here the reason is assigned. Congregation, or church of the Jews, who were gathered together like cattle, and sought after temporal advantages (S. Aug. in Ps. lxxii. 23.) alone.
This is not exactly true of all, (Heb. xi. 14.) though it might be of the people in general, who seldom raised their thoughts to spiritual delights
Of gods. Heb. "of God," who presides in his own council, and gives authority to others.
Yet Syr. has, "the angels;" Chal. "the just;" Prot. "the mighty;" and Aquila, "the powerful ones."
Gods here are put for judges, who act in God's name. Deut. i. 17. Ex. xxii. 28. To decide affairs of consequence, the priests and other judges met in the temple; and the Romans did the like, each senator offering incense and wine to the god who was honoured in that place. Suet. in Aug. xxxv
All magistrates ought to be equally careful in what they determine, as if they heard God present giving them the following instructions
This bringeth on the reprobation of the Jews, v. 5. &c.
Ver. 6. Gods. The people look upon you as such, and treat you with respect. But entertain not sentiments of pride on that account.
If judges, even those whom God condemns, may be styled gods without blasphemy, how much more might Jesus Christ, who was holy and did the works of God? He uses this argument to make the fury of the people abate: but then he continues to prove that he was God in a very different and proper sense, insomuch that the Jews, clearly perceiving his meaning, which Socinians would now mistake, took up stones to throw at him. Jo. x. 34.
If he had not been God, He would surely have told them plainly, as S. Paul did when people would have offered sacrifice to him, and as S. John Baptist confessed that he was not the Christ. The sons of Seth, priests, the just, and all the Israelites, were styled sons of God, as well as the angels and judges. Gen. vi. 2. Ps. xxviii. 1. Wisd. v. 5. Job i. 6. But no individual is called the Son, except Jesus Christ the true God.
This passage may be understood of all the faithful, (S. Aug.) particularly of bishops: and Constantine the Great was hence deterred from judging them (S. Greg. i. dec. Grat. p. 2. c. 11. q. 1.) or the clergy; (S. Melchiades. c. 12. q. 1.) though this name seems inaccurate, as the died before (Glossa) the council of Nice. Amama restrains the text to men in power.
Their elevated station make their ignorance and misconduct less excusable.
Ver. 5. Many gods, &c. Reputed for such among the heathens.
Ver. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers. Thus the words are placed, both in the Latin and Greek text, so that the true God seems to be called the God of this world, as he is elsewhere called the God of heaven, the God of Abraham. God, says S. Chrys. blinded, that is, permitted them to be blinded. Others translate, in whom God hat blinded the minds of the infidels of this world; so that this world may be joined with unbelievers, and not with God: and by the God of this world, some understand the devil, called sometimes the prince of this world, that is, of the wicked.
