Chapter 2

1. Wherefore did the gentiles prance, and the peoples meditate vanities?
2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered in sum together, against the LORD, and against his Christ -- (selah) --
3. [saying]: Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their yoke from us.
4. At them he laugheth that dwelleth in the heavens, and the LORD shall deride them.
5. Then shall he speak unto them in his anger, and vex them in his wrath.
6. Yet I myself was established king by him upon Zion his holy mountain
7. proclaiming the decree of the LORD: The LORD said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the gentiles for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9. Thou shalt shepherd them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10. Also perceive now, O ye kings: be instructed, all ye that judge the earth.
11. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling.
12. Take hold of instruction, lest at any time the LORD should be angered, and ye perish from the righteous way.
13. Whensoever his wrath with speed be kindled, blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Commentary:

• v. 1, "Prance": Ephryaxan refers usually to high-spirited horses: their neighing, snorting, and prancing. Applied to humans, it has a strongly negative connotation.
• v. 2, "Set themselves": Parestesan means arose, aroused, presented.
• v. 2, "In sum": Epi to auto is used in the papyri to mean "added together" or "making a total"; see Liddell-Scott.
• v. 2, "Christ": Hebrew Moshiach.
• v. 2, "Selah": Here we follow the Greek Orthodox Synodal text.
• v. 7, "Proclaiming": Diangellon refers to "proclaiming by messengers" or "spreading the word person-to-person".
• v. 7, "Begotten": the famous Greek word is gegenneka.
• v. 9, "Shepherd": the original Hebrew word must have been TR&M. Depending on the vowels, it means "will shatter", the Masoretic reading, or "will shepherd", the LXX reading.
• v. 10, "Perceive": Although too informal for the context, the nearest English equivalent of synete is "gather", as in "I gather that ... " The kings here are supposed to gather that they should serve the Lord, rather than "gather together" (v. 2) to oppose Him.

• To Next Chapter
• Back to Previous Chapter
• Up to Index

Have mercy, O Lord, upon Thy servants the scribe John, the priest John, and the parishioners of the temple of Saint Andrew in Lubbock, and upon the suffering Haitian people.