Are There Other Gods in the Bible?: James Duguid on Divine Council (James Duguid) Ep. #253

2026-05-21

Did the biblical authors believe in a divine council of heavenly beings surrounding God? In this episode, Dru Johnson sits down with Hebrew Bible scholar Jamie Duguid to unpack one of the most controversial debates in modern biblical scholarship: the meaning of “sons of God” in Deuteronomy 32 and the growing influence of Michael Heiser’s Divine Council worldview. The conversation explores the Hebrew phrase bene elohim, the Divine Council interpretation of Deuteronomy 32:8, and whether the Bible presents Yahweh as ruling among other divine beings. Duguid and Johnson examine the textual evidence behind the debate, including the Masor...

The conversation explores the Hebrew phrase bene elohim, the Divine Council interpretation of Deuteronomy 32:8, and whether the Bible presents Yahweh as ruling among other divine beings. Duguid and Johnson examine the textual evidence behind the debate, including the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac translations, and Isaiah 40–55.

They also discuss Genesis 6, Psalm 82, angels, demons, ancient Near Eastern religion, monotheism vs. henotheism, and why the Divine Council framework has become so influential through scholars like Heiser.

If you’ve wondered whether the Bible teaches the existence of other gods, spiritual powers, or a heavenly council, this episode offers a careful, scholarly, and deeply accessible exploration of one of the Bible’s most fascinating theological questions.

Read more of Dr. Duguid's work here:

https://www.quaerendum.com/

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Divine Council Debate

07:14 Understanding Elohim and Divine Beings

13:22 The Role of the Divine Council in Scripture

18:52 The Importance of the Masoretic Text

24:55 Exploring Alternative Texts: Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch

31:04 The Impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Biblical Texts

33:21 Exploring the Dead Sea Scrolls

35:39 Textual Variations in Biblical Manuscripts

40:11 Theological Implications of Textual Differences

45:18 Assessing the Nature of Divine Beings

51:57 Reconceptualizing Godhood in Scripture