John 10:34

In your law. Textual evidence is divided (cf. p. 146) between retaining or omitting the pronoun “your.” However, even if the reading “in your law” is accepted it need not be taken as a disavowal by Jesus of the law that He Himself had given. The “your” could emphasize the thought that the law that you yourselves recognize as authoritative says, etc. Compare ch. 8:17. The word “law” (Gr. nomos), here as in chs. 12:34; 15:25; etc., is used of the entire OT Scriptures as they were then recognized, and not of the Pentateuch only, as frequently was the case (ch. 1:17; etc.). Such a use of “law” is found also in rabbinical literature. For example, in answer to the question as to where the Torah (Law) attests the resurrection of the dead, the Talmud quotes Ps. 84:4 as evidence (Sanhedrin 91b, Soncino ed., p. 614).

Ye are gods. The quotation is from Ps. 82:6. The Psalm is an arraignment of unjust judges, spoken of as “gods” (see Introduction to Ps. 82, and on vs. 1, 6). Rabbinical tradition applied the term “gods” to those who received the law: “The Israelites accepted the Torah only so that the Angel of Death should have no dominion over them [Ps. 82:6, 7]” (Talmud ‘Abodah Zarah 5a, Soncino ed., p. 21). Jesus seems to make His reply in terms of this tradition (see on John 10:34). However, He was “God” in an altogether different sense from that of Ps. 82:6.