Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Bible Commentaries
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Ellicott's Commentary
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliographical Information
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on Psalms 2". "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/ebc/psalms-2.html. 1905.
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on Psalms 2". "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers". https://www.studylight.org/
Whole Bible (51)Old Testament (1)Individual Books (6)
Introduction
II.
As Psalms 1:0 describes the results of fulfilling the covenant for the individual by contrasting the condition of those who fail in their allegiance, so Psalms 2:0 shows how the covenant relation exalts Israel over the heathen; but some particular political situation seems to be indicated. Jerusalem appears to be threatened by a confederacy of hostile and rebellious powersâa confederacy that took advantage of the succession of a young and inexperienced monarch to throw off the bonds of subjection and tribute. David, Solomon, Ahaz, and Uzziah, have each of them been regarded as the hero and theme of the poem, but in each case there is some lack of correspondence between the history and the psalm. The psalm must therefore be regarded as expressing an ideal view of the futureâan ideal which the poet felt, from his historic knowledge of the past, would not shape itself except under difficulties and opposition. Doubtless there were in his mind the prophetic words spoken of Davidâs son, âI will be his father, and he shall be my sonââwords embodying the vital principle of the Hebrew monarchy, the essential idea of the Israelitish polity, that the king was only a regent in Godâs name, the deputy of Jehovah, and the chosen instrument of His will. Starting from these words, the poet shapes an ideal monarchy and an ideal kingâone who, though encountered by the worst forms of opposition, would prove himself a true son of David, and by his fidelity to his God and nation, a true son of God. Undismayed by the threatening aspect of things, and with prophetic words ringing in his ears, the youthful monarch aims at re-asserting Godâs supremacy over the heathen, and imposing once more that restraint of His law and religion from which they longed to be free. Such a view of the psalm alone explains its want of exact historic coincidence, and vindicates the claims universally made for it of Messianic prevision; for there is but a step between the ideal king and the Messianic kingâa step which, though perhaps unconsciously, the poets and prophets of Israel were for ever taking.
The psalm is lyric, with intense dramatic feeling. The poet begins and ends in his own person; but we hear the heathen muttering their threats, Jehovah answering them in thunder from heaven, and holding animated dialogue with His anointed, who, in turn, takes up the address, and declares His Divine mission and asserts His power. The strophical arrangement is fairly marked.
Verse 1
(1) Why do the heathen rage?âBetter, Why did nations band together, or muster? The Hebrew occurs only here as a verb, but derivatives occur in Pss. 4:14, Psalms 64:2: in the first, of a festive crowd; in the second, of a conspiracy allied with some evil intent. This fixes the meaning here, band together, possibly as in Aquilaâs translation, with added sense of tumult. The LXX. have âgrown restive,â like horses; Vulg., âhave raged.â
Imagine.âBetter, meditate, or plan. Literally, as in Psalms 1:2, only here in bad sense, mutter, referring to the whispered treasons passing to and fro among the nations, âa maze of mutterâd threats and mysteries.â In old English âimagineâ was used in a bad sense; thus Chaucer, ânothing list him to be imaginatifâ i.e., suspicious. The verb in this clause, as in the next, is in the present, the change being expressive: Why did they plot? what do they hope to gain by it?
Verse 2
(2) Set themselvesâi.e., with hostile intent, as in Jeremiah 46:4, where the same word is used of warriors: âStand forth with your helmets.â
Rulers.âProperly, grave dignitaries.
Take counsel.âBetter, have taken their pians, and are now mustering to carry them into effect. Notice the change of tense: in the first clause, the poet sees, as it were, the array; in the second, he goes back to its origin.
Against the Lord.âNotice the majestic simplicity of this line. The word Messiah is applicable in its first sense to any one anointed for a holy office or with holy oil (Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:5; Leviticus 4:16). Its distinctive reference to an expected prince of the chosen people, who was to redeem them from their enemies, and fulfil completely all the Divine promises for them, probably dates from this psalm, or more distinctly from this psalm than from any one passage. At least, that the traditional Jewish interpretation had fastened upon it as of this importance is shown by the frequent and emphatic quotation of this psalm in the New Testament. (See New Testament use of these verses in Acts 4:25, and Note in New Testament Commentary.)
Verse 3
(3) Let us break.âThe whispered purpose now breaks out into loud menace, and we hear their defiance pass along the ranks of the rebels.
Cords.âThe LXX. and Vulg. have âyoke,â which is in keeping with the metaphor of a restive animal. (Comp. Isaiah 58:6; Isaiah 10:27.)
Verse 4
(4) He that sitteth.âHere the psalm, with a sublimity truly Hebrew, turns from the wild confusion on earth to the spectacle of God looking down with mingled scorn and wrath on the fruitless attempts of the heathen against His chosen people.
Laugh.âWe speak of the âirony of events â; the Hebrew ascribes irony to God, who controls events.
Verse 5
(5) Then.âAn emphatic particle, marking the climax; possibly equal to âLo! behold.â The grand roll of the words in the original is like the roll of the thunder, and is rendered more effective by its contrast with the quiet manner of Psalms 2:4.
And vex them.âLiterally, and greatly (the verb is in the intensive conjugation) terrify them in his nostrils and in his heat.
Verse 6
(6) Yet have I.âThe pronoun is very emphatic: âYou dare to revolt, it is I who have given this office to the king.â
Set.âLiterally, poured out, as of melted metal; used of the Divine Spirit (Isaiah 29:10), of a libation (Exodus 30:9), and of pouring melted metal into a mould (Isaiah 40:19); from the latter use, to establish, or set up, is a natural transition. Gesenius and Ewald give a different sense to the word pour, and follow Symmachus in translating anointed, which agrees well with the mention of the Messiah (Psalms 2:4). The LXX. and Vulg. have âbut I was appointed king by him,â making the Anointed begin his speech here, instead of at the next verse.
Verse 7
(7) I will declare.âThe anointed king now speaks himself, recalling the covenant made with him by Jehovah at his coronation.
I will tell.âBetter, Let me speak concerning the appointment. The word rendered decree in our version is derived from a root meaning to engrave, and so stands for any formal agreement, but it is usually an ordinance clearly announced by a prophet or some other commissioned interpreter of the Divine will, and consecrated and legalised by mutual adoption by king and people.
The Lord hath.âBetter, Jehovah said unto me: that is, at that particular time, the day which the great event made the new birthday, as it were, of the monarch, or perhaps of the monarchy. From the particular prince, of whose career, if we could identify him with certainty, this would be the noblest historical memorial, the Psalmistâif, indeed, any one historic personage was in his thought at allâlet his thoughts and hopes range, as we certainly may, on to a larger and higher fulfilment. The figure of an ideal prince who was always about to appear, but was never realised in any actual successor on the throne, may possibly, by the time of this psalm, have assumed its great place in the nationâs prophetic hopes. Certainly the whole line of tradition claims the passage in a Messianic sense. (See Note, Psalms 2:2; and in New Testament Commentary, Note to Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 5:5. For the king, spoken of as Godâs son, see Psalms 89:26-27, and comp. 2 Samuel 7:14.)
Verse 9
(9) Thou shalt break.âThe LXX. translated, âthou shalt pasture them,â understanding by the rod (Heb., shevet), as in Leviticus 27:32, a shepherdâs crook. (Comp. Ezekiel 20:37; Micah 7:14.) Elsewhere the rod is a sceptre (Psalms 125:3); in Proverbs 22:15 it is a rod of correction. The use to be made of itâto dash the nations in pieces, as one breaks a potterâs vesselâpoints to the latter of these significations here.
âThen shalt thou bring full low
With iron sceptre bruised, and them disperse
Like to a potterâs vessel shivered so.â (Miltonâs trans.)
Psalms 2:10 begins the fourth section of the poem. Subject princes are warned to be wise in time, and, as a religious duty as well as a political necessity, to submit to Jehovah.
Rejoice with trembling.âLiterally, quake, referring to the motion of the body produced by strong emotion, and therefore used both of joy and terror. Our version follows the LXX.; most of the old versions paraphrase the word: Chaldean, âprayâ; Syriac,â cleave to himâ; Arabic, âpraise him.â It is historically interesting to remember that the words of this verseâet nunc reges intelligiteâformed the legend of the medal struck in England after the execution of Charles I.
Verse 12
(12) Kiss the Son.âThis familiar translation must be surrendered. It has against it the weight of all the ancient versions except the Syriac. Thus the Chaldaic has, âreceive instruction â; LXX., followed by Vulg., âlay hold of discipline.â Symmachus and Jerome render âpay pure adoration.âAquila has âkiss with discernment.â Bar, in the sense of âson,â is common in Chaldee, and is familiar to us from the Aramaic patronymics of the New Testament: e.g., Bar-Jonas, Bar-nabas, &c. The only place where it occurs in Heb., is Proverbs 31:2, where it is repeated three times; but the Book of Proverbs has a great deal of Aramaic colouring. Our psalmist uses ben for âsonâ in Psalms 2:7, and it is unlikely that he would change to so unusual a term, unless nashshekû-bar were a proverbial saying, and of this there is no proof Surely, too, the article or a suffix would have been employed. âKiss sonâ seems altogether too abrupt and bald even for Hebrew poetry. The change of subject also in the co-ordinate clause, âlest he (i.e., Jehovah, as the context shows) be angry,â is very awkward. As to the translation of the verb, the remark of Delitzsch, that it means âto kiss, and nothing else,â is wide of the mark, since it must in any case be taken figuratively, with sense of doing homage, as in Genesis 41:40 (margin), or worshipping (1 Kings 19:18; Hosea 13:2). The most consistent rendering is, therefore, proffer pure homage (to Jehovah), lest he be angry. It may be added that the current of Rabbinical authority is against our Authorised version. Thus R. Solomon: âArm yourselves with discipline;â (so, with a slight variation, one of the latest commentators, E. Reuss: âArm yourselves with loyaltyâ;) another Rabbi: âKiss the covenantâ; another, âAdore the corn.â Among the best of modern scholars, Hupfeld renders âyield sincerelyâ; Ewald, âreceive wholesome warningâ; Hitzig, âsubmit to dutyâ; Gratz (by emendation), âgive good heed to the warning.â
From the way.âThe LXX. and Vulg. amplify and explain âfrom the righteous way.â It is the way in following which, whether for individuals or nations, alone there is peace and happiness. (See Note Psalms 119:1.)
When his wrath.âBetter, for his wrath is soon kindled, or easily kindled.
Put their trust.âBetter, find their refuge.
Notice in the close of the psalm the settled and memorable belief that good must ultimately triumph over evil. The rebels against Godâs kingdom must be conquered in the noblest way, by being drawn into it.