There Where the Judges Gather

Representative Text

1 There where the judges gather,
a greater takes the seat;
"How long," God asks the judges,
"will you pronounce deceit?
How long show special favour
to those of ill repute?
How long neglect the orphan,
the poor and destitute?

2 Deal justly with the needy;
protect the powerless;
deliver the afflicted
from those who would oppress,
but you are surely blinded;
you do not understand;
therefore foundations totter;
injustice rocks the land."

3 God speaks: "I named you rulers,
to serve the Most High God,
but you shall die as mortals
and perish by my rod."
Arise, O God, in judgement,
your sovereignty make known,
for yours are all the nations;
the peoples are your own.

Source: The Book of Praise #51

Versifier: Henry Zylstra

Henry Zylstra (b. Platte, SD, 1909; d. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1956) earned an undergraduate degree at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan; studied German literature at Iowa State University; and received his Ph.D. in compara­tive literature from Harvard University. From 1943 to 1956 he taught in the English department at Calvin College. His tenure there was interrupted by service in the United States Navy (1943-1945), during which he received the Bronze Star for "unusu­ally meritorious service." He was studying under a Fulbright professorship at the Free University of Amsterdam when he died of a heart attack in 1956. A founder of Reformed Journal, Zylstra was a greatly esteemed teacher and leader at Calvin College and in the Chris… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: There where the judges gather
Title: There Where the Judges Gather
Versifier: Henry Zylstra (1953)
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English
Copyright: © 1976 Faith Alive Christian Resources

Notes

A prayer asking God, who calls all unjust rulers to account, to establish his righteous reign on earth.

Scripture References:
st. l =vv.I-2
st. 2 = vv. 3-5
st. 3 = vv. 6-8

Interpretations of Psalm 82 vary on many details, but one thing is clear: the psalmist has seen–and most likely experienced–that those who wield authority on earth are prone to promoting injustice rather than defending the powerless and oppressed (see also 58). Yet God sits in judgment as the great King over all such rulers (st. 1), calling them sternly to account (st. 1-2). In spite of their arrogant confidence in their power (st. 2), the LORD will terminate their little season of authority with death. In faith the psalmist sees the supreme Judge presiding over the heavenly court and prays for God to establish his righteous rule over all the nations on earth (st. 3). In the post-exilic temple liturgy, this psalm was sung at the time of the morning sacrifice on the third day of the week. Henry Zylstra (b. Platte, SD, 1909; d. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1956) prepared the versification in 1953 for the 1959 Psalter Hymnal; it was slightly altered for the 1987 edition.

Zylstra earned an undergraduate degree at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan; studied German literature at Iowa State University; and received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University. From 1943 to 1956 he taught in the English department at Calvin College. His tenure there was interrupted by service in the United States Navy (1943-1945), during which he received the Bronze Star for "unusually meritorious service." He was studying under a Fulbright professorship at the Free University of Amsterdam when he died of a heart attack in 1956.

A founder of Reformed Journal, Zylstra was a greatly esteemed teacher and leader at Calvin College and in the Christian Reformed Church. His writings on education and on the relationship between culture and the Christian faith were especially valued; many of his essays were collected posthumously in Testament of Vision (1958). His translations of theological works from Dutch into English were also of a high calibre. From 1951 until his death Zylstra served on the committee that prepared the 1959 Psalter Hymnal.

Liturgical Use:
When the church needs to speak against unjust use of power–especially by government.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune

MEIRIONYDD

William Lloyd (b. Rhos Goch, Llaniestyn, Caernarvonshire, Wales, 1786; d. Caernarvonshire, 1852) composed MEIRIONYDD, which was first published in manuscript form with the name BERTH in Caniadau Seion (Songs of Zion, 1840, ed. R. Mills). The tune is named after the Welsh county Meirionydd in which L…

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MUNICH (Mendelssohn)

MUNICH has a colorful history. Traces of it run as far back as 1593 in the Dresden, Germany, Gesangbuch in conjunction with the text 'Wir Christenleut." A version from a Meiningen Gesangbuch (1693) is still used in Lutheranism for "O Gott, du frommer Gott." Felix Mendelssohn's adaptation of that tun…

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AURELIA

Composed by Samuel S. Wesley (PHH 206), AURELIA (meaning "golden") was published as a setting for “Jerusalem the Golden” in Selection of Psalms and Hymns, which was compiled by Charles Kemble and Wesley in 1864. Though opinions vary concerning the tune's merits (Henry J. Gauntlett once condemned…

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Lift Up Your Hearts #292

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The Book of Praise #51

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