Psalm 2
Encyclopedia
Psalm 2 is the second Psalm of the Bible
. It tells us that we can either defy God
and perish, or submit to him and be blessed
. Psalm 2 itself does not identify its author
, but Acts
4:25-26 clearly attributes it to David
.
1 Ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;
2 παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ διάψαλμα
3 Διαρρήξωμεν τοὺς δεσμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπορρίψωμεν ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτῶν.
4 ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐκγελάσεται αὐτούς, καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐκμυκτηριεῖ αὐτούς.
5 τότε λαλήσει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ ταράξει αὐτούς
6 Ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιων ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ
7 διαγγέλλων τὸ πρόσταγμα κυρίου Κύριος εἶπεν πρός με Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε·
8 αἴτησαι παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς·
9 ποιμανεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ, ὡς σκεῦος κεραμέως συντρίψεις αὐτούς.
10 καὶ νῦν, βασιλεῖς, σύνετε· παιδεύθητε, πάντες οἱ κρίνοντες τὴν γῆν.
11 δουλεύσατε τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ.
12 δράξασθε παιδείας, μήποτε ὀργισθῇ κύριος καὶ ἀπολεῖσθε ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας. ὅταν ἐκκαυθῇ ἐν τάχει ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ, μακάριοι πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ.
St Jerome
's translation, which in the ninth century was replaced in the Vulgate
by the Gallican psalter:
1 Quare turbabuntur gentes et tribus meditabuntur inania?
2 consurgent reges terrae et principes tractabunt pariter adversum Dominum et adversum christum eius.
3 disrumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis laqueos eorum.
4 habitator caeli ridebit Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos.
6 ego autem orditus sum regem meum super Sion montem sanctum suum adnuntiabo Dei praeceptum.
7 Dominus dixit ad me filius meus es tu ego hodie genui te.
8 postula a me et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
9 pasces eos in virga ferrea ut vas figuli conteres eos.
10 nunc ergo reges intellegite erudimini iudices terrae.
11 servite Domino in timore et exultate in tremore.
12 adorate pure ne forte irascatur et pereatis de via.
13 cum exarserit post paululum furor eius beati omnes qui sperant in eum.
, Psalm 2 is translated as follows:
1 Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
2 Adstiterunt reges terræ, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum, et adversus christum ejus.
3 Dirumpamus vincula eorum, et projiciamus a nobis jugum ipsorum.
4 Qui habitat in cælis irridebit eos, et Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua, et in furore suo conturbabit eos.
6 Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion, montem sanctum ejus, prædicans præceptum ejus.
7 Dominus dixit ad me : Filius meus es tu ; ego hodie genui te.
8 Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terræ.
9 Reges eos in virga ferrea, et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos.
10 Et nunc, reges, intelligite; erudimini, qui judicatis terram.
11 Servite Domino in timore, et exsultate ei cum tremore.
12 Apprehendite disciplinam, nequando irascatur Dominus, et pereatis de via justa.
13 Cum exarserit in brevi ira ejus, beati omnes qui confidunt in eo.
text, which is the official Latin text of the Roman Catholic Church
, is as follows:
1 Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
2 Astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum et adversus christum eius:
3 "Dirumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum!".
4 Qui habitat in caelis, irridebit eos, Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos:
6 "Ego autem constitui regem meum super Sion, montem sanctum meum!".
7 Praedicabo decretum eius. Dominus dixit ad me: "Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.
8 Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
9 Reges eos in virga ferrea et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos".
10 Et nunc, reges, intellegite; erudimini, qui iudicatis terram.
11 Servite Domino in timore et exsultate ei cum tremore.
12 Apprehendite disciplinam, ne quando irascatur, et pereatis de via, cum exarserit in brevi ira eius. Beati omnes, qui confidunt in eo.
In the English
1 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?
2 The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.
3 Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.
5 Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.
6 But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
7 The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.
11 Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.
12 Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.
13 When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.
In the English
In the English Authorised version, Psalm 2 is translated as follows:
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people
imagine a vain thing?
2 The king
s of the earth
set themselves, and the rulers
take counsel together, against the LORD
, and against his anointed
, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heaven
s shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion
.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son
; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
In Jewish tradition
Psalm 2 is considered Messianic
by many rabbi
s.
In Matthew Henry
’s Concise Commentary
(1708-12), verses 1-6 are viewed as threats against Christ
's kingdom
, verses 7-9 as promise to Christ as the Head of this kingdom, and verses 10-12 as counsel to all to serve Christ.
In Adam Clark's commentary, verses 1-3 are viewed as opposition raised against the kingdom of Christ; verses 4-6 as Christ's victory, and the confusion of his enemies; verses 7-9 as the promulgation of the Gospel after his resurrection; and verses 10-12 as a call to all to accept it, because those who reject it will perish.
, who traditionally, following the Vulgate, have translated the phrase as "Embrace discipline". To translate as "Kiss the son", the word "bar" must be read as Aramaic ("son", while in Hebrew "son" is "ben") rather than Hebrew (purity) or Septuagint and Vulgate "discipline", "training", "teaching". Some Jewish authors have accused Protestant Christians of arbitrarily choosing to interpret the word as in a different language, in order to give the text a meaning more favourable to Christians ("son", understood as Christ). In defence, Protestants point to other places in the Bible where isolated Aramaic words are found in Hebrew (e.g. the same word "bar" occurring in Proverbs 31:2), and say that the word "son" is also used in verse 7 of the same Psalm, that "son" is used to refer to Messiah in both Jewish and Christian traditions, and that even in a Jewish interpretation the Psalm is considered messianic.
set Psalm 2, "Why fum'th in fight", for 9 Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter.
Psalm 2 is one of the psalms used in George Frideric Handel
's Messiah
, where it is featured prominently towards the end of Part II
.
Psalm 2 is pitted against Psalm 24
in Leonard Bernstein
's second movement of Chichester Psalms
.
Verse 8 of Psalm 2 is used in 'You Said' by the Australian band Hillsong.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. It tells us that we can either defy God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and perish, or submit to him and be blessed
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
. Psalm 2 itself does not identify its author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, but Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
4:25-26 clearly attributes it to David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
.
In the original Hebrew
In the original Hebrew, Psalm 2 reads as follows:In the Septuagint
2 παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ διάψαλμα
3 Διαρρήξωμεν τοὺς δεσμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπορρίψωμεν ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτῶν.
4 ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐκγελάσεται αὐτούς, καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐκμυκτηριεῖ αὐτούς.
5 τότε λαλήσει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ ταράξει αὐτούς
6 Ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιων ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ
7 διαγγέλλων τὸ πρόσταγμα κυρίου Κύριος εἶπεν πρός με Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε·
8 αἴτησαι παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς·
9 ποιμανεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ, ὡς σκεῦος κεραμέως συντρίψεις αὐτούς.
10 καὶ νῦν, βασιλεῖς, σύνετε· παιδεύθητε, πάντες οἱ κρίνοντες τὴν γῆν.
11 δουλεύσατε τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ.
12 δράξασθε παιδείας, μήποτε ὀργισθῇ κύριος καὶ ἀπολεῖσθε ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας. ὅταν ἐκκαυθῇ ἐν τάχει ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ, μακάριοι πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ.
In St Jerome's translation (AD 405)
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
's translation, which in the ninth century was replaced in the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
by the Gallican psalter:
1 Quare turbabuntur gentes et tribus meditabuntur inania?
2 consurgent reges terrae et principes tractabunt pariter adversum Dominum et adversum christum eius.
3 disrumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis laqueos eorum.
4 habitator caeli ridebit Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos.
6 ego autem orditus sum regem meum super Sion montem sanctum suum adnuntiabo Dei praeceptum.
7 Dominus dixit ad me filius meus es tu ego hodie genui te.
8 postula a me et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
9 pasces eos in virga ferrea ut vas figuli conteres eos.
10 nunc ergo reges intellegite erudimini iudices terrae.
11 servite Domino in timore et exultate in tremore.
12 adorate pure ne forte irascatur et pereatis de via.
13 cum exarserit post paululum furor eius beati omnes qui sperant in eum.
In the Vulgate
In the Gallican Psalter, which in the 9th century has replaced that of Jerome in the VulgateVulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
, Psalm 2 is translated as follows:
1 Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
2 Adstiterunt reges terræ, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum, et adversus christum ejus.
3 Dirumpamus vincula eorum, et projiciamus a nobis jugum ipsorum.
4 Qui habitat in cælis irridebit eos, et Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua, et in furore suo conturbabit eos.
6 Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion, montem sanctum ejus, prædicans præceptum ejus.
7 Dominus dixit ad me : Filius meus es tu ; ego hodie genui te.
8 Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terræ.
9 Reges eos in virga ferrea, et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos.
10 Et nunc, reges, intelligite; erudimini, qui judicatis terram.
11 Servite Domino in timore, et exsultate ei cum tremore.
12 Apprehendite disciplinam, nequando irascatur Dominus, et pereatis de via justa.
13 Cum exarserit in brevi ira ejus, beati omnes qui confidunt in eo.
In the Nova Vulgata (1979)
The Nova VulgataVulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
text, which is the official Latin text of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, is as follows:
1 Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?
2 Astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum adversus Dominum et adversus christum eius:
3 "Dirumpamus vincula eorum et proiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum!".
4 Qui habitat in caelis, irridebit eos, Dominus subsannabit eos.
5 Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua et in furore suo conturbabit eos:
6 "Ego autem constitui regem meum super Sion, montem sanctum meum!".
7 Praedicabo decretum eius. Dominus dixit ad me: "Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.
8 Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.
9 Reges eos in virga ferrea et tamquam vas figuli confringes eos".
10 Et nunc, reges, intellegite; erudimini, qui iudicatis terram.
11 Servite Domino in timore et exsultate ei cum tremore.
12 Apprehendite disciplinam, ne quando irascatur, et pereatis de via, cum exarserit in brevi ira eius. Beati omnes, qui confidunt in eo.
In the EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Douay-Rheims Bible
1 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?2 The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.
3 Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.
5 Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.
6 But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
7 The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.
11 Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.
12 Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.
13 When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.
In the EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Authorised Version, or King James Bible
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people
People
People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:* as the plural of person or a group of people People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:*...
imagine a vain thing?
2 The king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
s of the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
set themselves, and the rulers
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
take counsel together, against the LORD
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
, and against his anointed
Anointing
To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil, milk, water, melted butter or other substances, a process employed ritually by many religions. People and things are anointed to symbolize the introduction of a sacramental or divine influence, a holy emanation, spirit, power or God...
, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
s shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion
Zion
Zion is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE...
.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
In Jewish traditionTraditionA tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
Messianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....
by many rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s.
- Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a: "Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the MessiahMessiahA messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, the son of DavidDavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
(May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), 'Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee', as it is said, I will tell of the decree etc. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance" (Psalms ii. 7-8). - Genesis Rabbah 44:8 R. Jonathan said: "Three persons were bidden 'ask', viz.: SolomonSolomonSolomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
, AhazAhazAhaz was king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. He is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew....
, and the King Messiah. Solomon: Ask what I shall give thee (1 Kings III, 5). Ahaz: Ask thee a sign (Isa. VII, 11). The King Messiah: Ask of Me, etc. (Ps. II, 8)." - Pirke de-Rabbi EliezerPirke De-Rabbi EliezerPirke De-Rabbi Eliezer is an aggadic-midrashic work on Genesis, part of Exodus, and a few sentences of Numbers, ascribed to R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus , a disciple of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai and teacher of Rabbi Akiva. It comprises fifty four chapters...
(9th c.), Section 28, on verse 1: All the nations will be gathered together to fight with the Son of David, as it is said: The kings of the earth set themselves, etc. - RashiRashiShlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
(11th c.): Our teachers interpreted the subject of this Psalm with reference to King Messiah, but according to its plain meaning it will be right to expound it of David himself." - MidrashMidrashThe Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
on Psalms (11th c.): This day have I begotten thee (Psalm 2:7). R. Huna said: Suffering is divided into three portions: one, the Patriarchs and all the generations of men took; one, the generation that lived in the time of [Hadrian's] persecution took; and one, the generation of the lord Messiah will take. When the time comes, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say: "I must create the Messiah -- a new creation." As Scripture says, This day have I begotten thee -- that is, on the very day of redemption, God will create the Messiah. Ask of Me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession (Ps. 2:8). God, speaking to the Messiah, says: If thou dost ask for dominion over the nations, already they are thine inheritance; if for the ends of the earth, already they are thy possession. R. Johanan taught: To three men -- Solomon, Ahaz, and the lord Messiah -- the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Ask of me." To Solomon, as is written In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: "Ask what I shall give thee" (1 Kings 3:5). To Ahaz, as is written "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above" (Isa. 7:11)....To the lord Messiah, as is written Ask of Me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession. - MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
(11th c.), introduction to Sanhedrin, chapter 10: The prophets and the saints have longed for the days of the Messiah, and great has been their desire towards him, for there will be with him the gathering together of the righteous and the administration of good, and wisdom, and royal righteousness, with the abundance of his uprightness and the spread of his wisdom, and his approach to God, as it is said: The Lord said unto me, Thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee. - David Kimchi (13th c.), comment on verse 12: There are those who interpret this psalm of Gog and Magog, and the "anointed" as the King Messiah; and thus did our rabbis of blessed memory interpret it (b. Berachot 7b).
- YalkutYalkutThere are several rabbinical works that bear the title "Yalkut" :*Yalkut Yosef*Yalkut Shimoni*Yalkut Makiri*Yalkut Reuveni...
(13th c.), Section 621 On verse 7: R. Huna said in the name of R. Idi, In three parts were the punishments divided: one for King Messiah, and when His hour cometh the Holy One, blessed be He, saith, I must make a new covenant with Him, and so He saith, To-day have I begotten thee. On verse 9: "Thou wilt bruise them with a rod of iron"; this is Messiah ben Joseph.
In Protestant tradition
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry was an English commentator on the Bible and Presbyterian minister.-Life:He was born at Broad Oak, a farmhouse on the borders of Flintshire and Shropshire. His father, Philip Henry, had just been ejected under the Act of Uniformity 1662...
’s Concise Commentary
Commentry
Commentry is a commune in the department of Allier in central France. It lies southwest of Moulins by the Orléans railway.-Population:-Economy:...
(1708-12), verses 1-6 are viewed as threats against Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's kingdom
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.The term "Kingdom of God" is found in all four canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles...
, verses 7-9 as promise to Christ as the Head of this kingdom, and verses 10-12 as counsel to all to serve Christ.
In Adam Clark's commentary, verses 1-3 are viewed as opposition raised against the kingdom of Christ; verses 4-6 as Christ's victory, and the confusion of his enemies; verses 7-9 as the promulgation of the Gospel after his resurrection; and verses 10-12 as a call to all to accept it, because those who reject it will perish.
Controversy
English-speaking Protestant Christians commonly (but not always) translate verse 12 as "Kiss the son", as in the King James Version. The most common Jewish interpretation is "Embrace purity", an interpretation close to that of CatholicsRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, who traditionally, following the Vulgate, have translated the phrase as "Embrace discipline". To translate as "Kiss the son", the word "bar" must be read as Aramaic ("son", while in Hebrew "son" is "ben") rather than Hebrew (purity) or Septuagint and Vulgate "discipline", "training", "teaching". Some Jewish authors have accused Protestant Christians of arbitrarily choosing to interpret the word as in a different language, in order to give the text a meaning more favourable to Christians ("son", understood as Christ). In defence, Protestants point to other places in the Bible where isolated Aramaic words are found in Hebrew (e.g. the same word "bar" occurring in Proverbs 31:2), and say that the word "son" is also used in verse 7 of the same Psalm, that "son" is used to refer to Messiah in both Jewish and Christian traditions, and that even in a Jewish interpretation the Psalm is considered messianic.
Musical Settings
In 1567, Thomas TallisThomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
set Psalm 2, "Why fum'th in fight", for 9 Psalm Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter.
Psalm 2 is one of the psalms used in George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
, where it is featured prominently towards the end of Part II
Messiah Part II
Messiah , the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part II in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting the relation of the musical setting to the text...
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Psalm 2 is pitted against Psalm 24
Psalm 24
' is the 24th Psalm from the Book of Psalms.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom for Sunday.*On days other than Shabbat, is recited when returning the Torah Scroll to the ark.*Verse 1 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4....
in Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's second movement of Chichester Psalms
Chichester Psalms
Chichester Psalms is a choral work by Leonard Bernstein for boy treble or countertenor, solo quartet, choir and orchestra...
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Verse 8 of Psalm 2 is used in 'You Said' by the Australian band Hillsong.