Psalm 2
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
God’s Promise to His Anointed
2 [a]Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my son,
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling 12 kiss his feet,[b]
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Footnotes
- 2 Together with Ps 110 a royal, Messianic psalm, often applied to Jesus as Messiah in the New Testament.
- Psalm 2:12 Cn: The Hebrew of 11b and 12a is uncertain
Psalm 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 The Prophet David rejoiceth, that notwithstanding his enemies’ rage, yet God will continue his kingdom forever, and advance it even to the end of the world, 10 and therefore exhorteth kings and rulers, that they would humbly submit themselves under God’s yoke, because it is in vain to resist God. Herein is figured Christ’s kingdom.
1 Why do the [a]heathen (A)rage, and the people murmur in vain.
2 The kings of the earth band themselves, and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord, and against his [b]Christ.
3 [c]Let us break their bands, and cast their cords from us.
4 (B)But he that dwelleth in the heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 [d]Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, saying,
6 Even I have set my King upon Zion mine holy mountain.
7 I will declare the [e]decree: that is, the Lord hath said unto me, (C)Thou art my son; this [f]day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the [g]ends of the earth for thy possession.
9 (D)Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 [h]Be wise now therefore, ye kings: be learned ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice in trembling.
12 [i]Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye [j]perish in the way, when his wrath shall suddenly burn. Blessed are all that trust in him.
Footnotes
- Psalm 2:1 The conspiracy of the Gentiles, the murmuring of the Jews, and power of kings cannot prevail against Christ.
- Psalm 2:2 Or, anointed.
- Psalm 2:3 Thus the wicked say, that they will cast off the yoke of God, and of his Christ.
- Psalm 2:5 God’s plagues will declare that in resisting his Christ, they fought against him.
- Psalm 2:7 To show that my vocation to the kingdom, is of God.
- Psalm 2:7 That is to say, as touching man’s knowledge, because it was the first time that David appeared to be elected of God. So is it applied to Christ in his first coming and manifestation to the world.
- Psalm 2:8 Not only the Jews, but the Gentiles also.
- Psalm 2:10 He exhorteth all rulers to repent in time.
- Psalm 2:12 In sign of homage.
- Psalm 2:12 When the wicked shall say, Peace and rest, seeming yet to be but in the mind way of their purposes, then shall destruction suddenly come, 1Thess. 5:3.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
