The congregation of God (אֵ֑ל בַּעֲדַת־) in the Hebrew Bible

Deuteronomy 32:8

Jewish scholars say that ''sons of Israel'' was a correction, not the original text. Even those who interpreters who accepted the reading ''Israel'' cannot explain it:

''In verse 8, instead of establishing the territories according to the number of minor gods (למספר בני אלהים), MT and SP have Elyon establishing territories based on the number of Israelites (לְמִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). Replacing “sons of god” with the neutral “sons of Israel” avoids the theological problem of multiplicity in the divine realm, but it obfuscates much of the message of vv. 8-9. The original point was that each land has its own territorial god, but what does the corrected text with “sons of Israel” mean? Traditional commentators addressed this problem in various ways. Rashi and Pseudo-Jonathan suggest it refers to the 70 sons of Jacob who went down to Egypt (Gen 46) and the corresponding seventy nations of Genesis 10. Rashbam and Bekhor Shor suggest it refers to the twelve tribes who replace the twelve Canaanite nations. Surprisingly, ibn Ezra declares it to be a secret (סוד). In short, the theological correction creates a serious contextual problem—the meaning of the verse is no longer clear.'' (Are There Gods, Angels, and Demons in Deuteronomy? Prof. Jonathan Ben-Dov).

Very ancient variants of Deuteronomy 32:8 had two different readings:

1. The Septuagint had ''angels of God''
2. Dead Sea Scrolls had ''sons of God''

Source: A Fragment of the "Song of Moses" (Deut. 32) from Qumran

Patrick W. Skehan, 1954

There are many angels but Revelation 8:2 singled out 7 angels specifically for a purpose. Likewise, 70 angels were singled out among the many angels. Psalm 82 confirmed this. The Targums had ''angels'' in Psalm 82 even when referencing the leaders of Israel: "I said, as angels are ye accounted".

''sons of Israel'' in Deut 32:8 doesn't make sense. There is no text saying that nations in the earth had been divided (assigned) to the ''sons of Israel'' (i.e. Jacob = Israel). The text itself said that Israel was one of the many nations that had been divided! Israel was not assigned to itself. Yahweh was assigned to Israel!

The oldest variants (sons of God/angels) of Deuteronomy 32:8 makes a lot of sense. For instance, Daniel 12:1, the angel Michael was the great prince who is ''standing for the sons of your people'' (Literal Standard Version), '' who has charge of your people'' (English Standard Version), ''who watches over your people'' (NETBible). That's why in the CEV they had translated Deuteronomy as ''that God Most High gave land to every nation. He assigned a guardian angel to each of them''.

Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7

The ancient Targum of the Hebrew Bible (circa 300- 201 B.C.E.) had ''companies of angels'' (מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים) in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1. (11q tArgum of Job). And in Job 38:7 it also had ''angels of God'' (םיהלא ינב as אהלא יכאלמ) instead of ''sons of God'' The Targum agrees with the Septuagint.

The Greek Septuagint never mentioned '''sons of God'' but only ''angels of God''. of Job 1:6, Job 2:1, 37:8 also had ''angels of God''

Job 1:6 (LXX): καὶ ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἦλθεν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν
Job 2:1 (LXX): ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἦλθεν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν παραστῆναι ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου
Job 38:7 (LXX): ὅτε ἐγενήθησαν ἄστρα, ᾔνεσάν με φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου.

Deut 32:34 LXX, Hebrews 1:6 

The NRSV followed the Dead Sea Scrolls. 4QDeutq has ''worship him all you gods'' (whštḥww lw kl 'lhym). 

worship him, all you gods! (Deuteronomy 32:34 NRSV)

The Septuagint has ''angels of God'' instead of ''gods' (which would be ''Θεοί in Greek and 'lhym in Hebrew). Hebrews 1:6 quoted the LXX word for word. 

Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ (Hebrews 1:6)
καὶ ἐνισχυσάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ (Deuteronomy 32:34 LXX)

The reading of the Dead Sea Scrolls ''gods'' ('lhym) is ancient (c. 250-200 B.C.E.). The reading of the Septuagint ''angels of God'' is also equally ancient (280 B.C.E.). The reading of the Masoretic text written by Masoretes (Jewish scribe-scholars is late (c. A.D. 700 -1000).

(4QDeut) of "Deuteronomy 32:43 has 'let all God’s angels worship him' while the Masoretic text does not." The New American Commentary agrees. Likewise, the NLT translation notes and ESV translation notes show that the DSS generally agrees with the LXX against the MT on the parts of this verse (Is it corruption of the LXX for adding Deut 32:43 or of the Masoretic for lacking it as quoted in Hebrews 1:6?, Thaddeus, 2015).

Psalm 8:5, Hebrews 2:7 

The Masoretic text of Psalm 8:5 had אֱלֹהִים (elohim, God/gods). In fact, all extant Hebrew Manuscripts had אֱלֹהִים in Psalm 8:5. The LSV (Literal Standard Version) followed the Hebrew reading while the NET Bible followed the Septuagint. Hebrews 2:7 also followed the Septuagint.

Literal Standard Version
You make him a little lower than the gods [[or God]], And surround him with glory and majesty.
NET Bible
and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? You grant mankind honor and majesty;

The Jewish English translation JPS Tanakh 1917 agrees with the Septuagint, than the Hebrew: 

JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, And hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Hebrews 2:7 had ''angels'' (ἀγγέλους) which agrees with the Septuagint: ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ᾽ ἀγγέλους (Psalm 8:5 LXX).

ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ' ἀγγέλους (Hebrews 2:7 NA27).

The Douay-Rheims Bible (from Latin) agrees also with the Septuagint in using ''angelis'' (angels):

 ''minuisti eum paulo minus ab angelis'', showing that the Old Latin (Vetus Latina, 2nd century C.E. followed the LXX reading). Hebrews 2:7 itself from the 1st century A.D. followed the Septuagint reading of ''angels'' when it quoted Psalm 8:5. The signifance of this is that ''gods'' in the original Hebrew refers to ''angels'' according to ancient translations and the New Testament.

Other Hebrew Bible confirms this:

1. Exodus 15:11: “Who is like you, O YHWH, among the gods?,” Psalm 95:3 states, “For YHWH is a great god, and a great King above all gods” (כִּי אֵל גָּדוֹל יְהוָה וּמֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים).
2. Psalm 29:1: “Give to YHWH, O sons of gods, give to YHWH glory and strength” (הָבוּ לַֽיהוָה בְּנֵי אֵלִים הָבוּ לַיהוָה כָּבוֹד וָעֹֽז).
3. Psalm 89.7 “For whom in the skies can be compared to YHWH? Who among the sons of god/gods may be likened to YHWH…?” (כִּי מִי בַשַּׁחַק יַעֲרֹךְ לַיהוָה יִדְמֶה לַיהוָה בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים).

Quotation taken from Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol Newsom, and Pheme Perkins, The New Oxford Annotated Bible New Revised Standard Version (Oxford: Oxford Univ Press, 2009).

''The god of Israel (whether this be YHWH or El) is designated as אֵל עֶלְיֽוֹן, “the Most High god” (e.g., Gen.14:18-19; Ps. 78:35; cf. Ps. 82:6), because there are other lower gods in his pantheon. These gods obey and pay deference to YHWH because he is the supreme god of the pantheon. YHWH is the “god of gods” ( אֵל אֱלֹהִים), i.e., the “greatest god” (Josh. 22:22), just as Artaxerxes was the “greatest king” (מֶלֶךְ מַלְכַיָּא; Ezra. 7:12) or Canticles is the “greatest song” (שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים; Song of Songs 1:1) (The Early History of God, Mark S. Smith, 34).