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 神膏立的君王必审判列国

列国为甚么骚动?

万民为甚么空谋妄想?

世上的君王起来,

首领聚在一起,

敌对耶和华和他所膏立的,说:

“我们来挣断他们给我们的束缚,

摆脱他们的绳索!”

那坐在天上的必发笑,

主必讥笑他们。

那时,他必在烈怒中对他们讲话,

在震怒中使他们惊慌,说:

“我已经在锡安我的圣山上,

立了我的君王。”

受膏者说:“我要宣告耶和华的谕旨:

耶和华对我说:‘你是我的儿子,

我今日生了你。

你求我,我就把列国赐给你作产业,

把全地都归属于你。

你必用铁杖击打他们,

好象打碎陶器一样粉碎他们。’”

10 现在,君王啊!你们要谨慎。

地上的审判官啊!你们应当听劝告。

11 你们要以敬畏的态度事奉耶和华,

又应当存战兢的心而欢呼。

12 你们要用嘴亲吻子,

否则他一发怒,你们就在路上灭亡,

因为他的怒气快要发作。

凡是投靠他的,都是有福的。

Psalm 2[a]

Universal Reign of the Messiah

Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples devise futile plots?
The kings of the earth rise up,
    and the princes conspire together
against the Lord
    and against his Anointed One:[b]
“Let us finally break their shackles
    and cast away their chains from us.”
The one who is enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord mocks their plans.
Then he rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I myself have anointed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”[c]
I will proclaim the decree[d] of the Lord:
    He said to me, “You are my son;
    this day I have begotten you.”
Simply make the request of me,
    and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
    and the ends of the earth as your possession.[e]
You will rule them with an iron scepter;
    you will shatter them like a potter’s vessel.[f]
10 Therefore, O kings, pay heed;
    take warning, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling 12     bow down in homage[g]
lest he become angry
    and you perish from the way,
    for his wrath can flare up in an instant.
Blessed are all those
    who take refuge in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Although the surrounding peoples are rising up, the People of God are enthroning a new king; empowered by God’s assistance, he shatters the coalition of their foes. This is the drama evoked in the present psalm, and it recurs more than once in the history of Israel. Thus, this poem found its place in a liturgy for royal consecration, for each king was a “messiah,” that is, a man anointed with the sacred unction in the name of God. But the Prophets and the New Testament enlarged these perspectives. Hence, this ancient text evokes the whole drama of the world. It proclaims the sovereignty of God in the midst of the tumult of peoples and our human rebellions.
    Behind the king of verse 6 can be glimpsed the Messiah (the Christ), a descendant of David and the Son of God, who will save his people (see Isa 9:5-6; Acts 4:25; 13:33; Heb 1:5). There is a premonition of the struggle that will take place at the end of time (see Ezek 38–39; Dan 12), a struggle already begun in the Passion of Jesus and in the persecutions of the Church (see Acts 4:25-28). But the psalm also expresses the hope of a final conversion of all the nations as they at last acknowledge the Lord (see Isa 45; Rev 19:15). God’s plan will be achieved in the glory of the Messianic Kingdom.
  2. Psalm 2:2 Anointed One: in Hebrew, Mashiah (whence the word “Messiah”), which in the Greek translation is Christos; it referred originally to the Davidic King but ultimately to Jesus Christ. This phrase has given rise to two titles of Jesus: “Messiah” from the Hebrew and “Christ” from the Greek. In Israel the power of office was bestowed by anointing both on kings (see Jdg 9:8; 1 Sam 9:16; 16:12f) and on high priests (see Lev 8:12; Num 3:3).
  3. Psalm 2:6 Holy mountain: reference to the site of the temple (see 2 Chr 3:4; 15:1; 33:15). Psalms 43:3; 46:5 have “holy mountain” and “holy place” respectively. Psalm 48:2 has “holy mountain” and Psalm 87:1 has “holy mountains.”
  4. Psalm 2:7 Decree: this is nothing less than the prophecy of Nathan (see 2 Sam 7:14) applied to the Messiah by 1 Chr 17:13 (see Ps 89:27). Here the Messiah speaks after the rebels (v. 3) and after God who in an oracle (v. 6) has just enthroned him as King of Israel. He has also declared him his Son according to a formula familiar to the ancient Orient.
  5. Psalm 2:8 The Messiah’s reign will be coextensive with that of God (see Isa 49:6; Dan 7:14). This verse is applied by Heb 1:5 (see Heb 5:5), then by tradition and the Liturgy, to the eternal generation of the Word.
  6. Psalm 2:9 The Book of Revelation applies this verse to Christ’s triumphant reign (see Rev 12:5; 19:15).
  7. Psalm 2:12 Bow down in homage: another possible translation is: “honor the Son.” Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.

The reign of Jehovah’s anointed.

Why do the nations [a]rage,
And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bonds asunder,
And cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh:
The Lord will have them in derision.
Then will he speak unto them in his wrath,
And [b]vex them in his sore displeasure:
Yet I have set my king
Upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son;
This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

10 Now therefore be wise, O ye kings:
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve Jehovah with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way,
For his wrath [c]will soon be kindled.
[d]Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Or, tumultuously assemble
  2. Psalm 2:5 Or, trouble
  3. Psalm 2:12 Or, may
  4. Psalm 2:12 Or, Happy

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

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.