| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Psalm Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 2
This
psalm is the second in order
and so it is called in Acts 13:33; which shows that the book of
Psalms was in the same form in the apostles' days as now
and as it ever had
been; and though it is without a title
yet certain it is that it is a psalm of
David
since the twelve apostles of Christ with one voice ascribe it to him
in
which no doubt they the generally received sense of the Jewish Acts 4:24; and the Messiah is the subject
of and that it is a prophecy concerning him
his person
office
and kingdom
appears from the express mention of the Lord's Anointed
or Messiah
in his
being set as King over Zion
notwithstanding the opposition made against him;
from the person spoken of being called the Son of God
and that in such sense
as angels and men are not
and therefore cannot belong to any creature; and
from his having so large an inheritance
and such power over the Heathen; and
from the reverence
service
and obedience due to him from the kings and judges
of the earth; and from the trust and confidence which is to be put in him
which ought not to be placed but in a divine Person; and more especially this
appears from several passages cited out of it in the New Testament
and applied
to the Messiah
Acts 4:25
to which may be added
that the
ancient Jewish doctors interpreted this psalm of the MessiahF19Jarchi
in loc. ; and some of the modern ones own that it may be understood either of
David or of the Messiah
and that some things are clearer of the Messiah than
of DavidF20Kimchi in v. 12. & Aben Ezra in v. 6. 12. ; and some
particular passages in it are applied to him both by ancient and later writers
among the Jews
as Psalm 2:1
"Why do the Heathen
rage"
&c.
F21T. Bab. Avodah
Zarah
fol. 3. 2. Pirke Eliezer
c. 19. ; Psalm 2:6
"I have set"
&c.F23R.
Saadiah Gaon in Dan. vii. 13. ; Psalm 2:7
"I will declare the
decree"
&c.F24Yalkut Simeoni
par. 2. fol. 90. 2. Zohar in
Numb. fol. 82. 2. Maimon in Misn Sanhedrin
c. 11. 1. & Abarbinel Mashmiah
Jeshuah
fol. 37. 4. &. 38. 1.
and Psalm 2:8
"Ask of me"
&c.F25T.
Bab. Succah
fol. 52. 1. & Bereshit Rabba
s. 44. fol. 38. 4. ; and we may
very safely interpret the whole of him.
Psalm 2:1 Why
do the nations rage
And the people plot a vain thing?
YLT
1Why have nations
tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity?
Why do the Heathen rage
.... Or "the
nations"; which some understand of the Jews
who are so called
Genesis 17:5; because of their various
tribes; and of their rage against the Messiah there have been many instances;
as when they gnashed upon him with their teeth
and at several times took up
stones to stone him
and cried out in a most furious and wrathful manner
crucify him
crucify him
Luke 4:28; though it is best to interpret
it of the Gentiles
as the apostles seem to do in Acts 4:27. The Hebrew word translated
"rage" is by one Jewish writerF26Aben Ezra in loc.
explained by חברו
"associate" or
"meet together"; and which is often the sense of the word in the
Syriac and Chaldee languages
in which it is more used; and anotherF1R.
Sol. Ben Melech in Ioc. says
that it is expressive of "gathering
together
and of a multitude"; it intends a tumultuous gathering together
as is that of a mob
with great confusion and noiseF2רגשו "congregrant se turmatim"
Vatablus;
"eum tumultu"
Munster
Tigurine version. ; and so the Gentiles
the
Roman soldiers
gathered together
even multitudes of them
and came out with
Judas at the head of them
with swords and staves
to apprehend Christ and
bring him to the chief priests and elders
Matthew 26:47; these assembled together in
Pilate's hall
when Christ was condemned to be crucified
and insulted him in a
most rude and shocking manner
Matthew 26:2; and many are the instances of
the Gentiles rising in mobs
and appearing in riotous assemblies
making
tumults and uproars against the apostles to oppose them
and the spread of the
Gospel by them; to which they were sometimes instigated by the unbelieving Jews
and sometimes by their own worldly interest; see Acts 13:50
to which may be added
as
instances of this tumult and rage
the violent persecutions both of the Pagan
emperors and of the Papists
which last are called Gentiles as well as the
other; for this respects the kingdom of Christ
or the Gospel dispensations
from the beginning to the end;
and the people imagine a vain thing? by "the
people" are meant the people of Israel
who were once God's peculiar
people
and who were distinguished by him with peculiar favours above all
others
and in whom this prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled; they imagine
it and meditated a vain thing when they thought the Messiah would be a temporal
King
and set up a kingdom
on earth in great worldly splendour and glory
and
rejected Jesus
the true Messiah
because he did not answer to these their
carnal imaginations; they meditated a vain thing when they sought to take away the
good name and reputation of Christ
by fixing opprobrious names and injurious
charges upon him
for Wisdom has been justified of her children
Matthew 11:19; and so they did when they
meditated his death
with those vain hopes that he should die and his name
perish
and should lie down in the grave and never rise more
Psalm 41:5; for he not only rose from the
dead
but his name was more famous after his death than before; they imagined a
vain thing when they took so much precaution to prevent the disciples stealing
his body out of the sepulchre
and giving out that he was risen from the dead
and more especially when he was risen
to hire the soldiers to tell a lie in
order to stifle and discredit the report of it; they meditated vain things when
they attempted to oppose the apostles
and hinder the preaching of the Gospel
by them
which they often did
as the Acts of the Apostles testify; and it was
after one of these attempts that the apostles
in their address to God
made
use of this very passage of Scripture
Acts 4:2; and they still meditate a vain
thing in that they imagine Jesus of Nazareth is not the Messiah
and that the
Messiah is not yet come; and in that they are expecting and looking for him.
Now the Psalmist
or the Holy Ghost by him
asks "why" all this? what
should move the Gentiles and the Jews to so much rage
tumult
and opposition
against an holy and innocent person
and who went about doing good as he did?
what end they could have in it
or serve by it? and how they could expect to
succeed? what would all their rage and not
and vain imagination
signify? it
is strongly suggested hereby that it would all be in vain and to no purpose
as
well as what follows.
Psalm 2:2 2 The kings of the earth set
themselves
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against
His Anointed
saying
YLT
2Station themselves do kings
of the earth
And princes have been united together
Against Jehovah
and
against His Messiah:
The kings of the earth set themselves
.... Rose and
stood up in great wrath and fury
and presented themselves in an hostile
manner
and opposed the Messiah: as Herod the great
king of Judea
who very
early bestirred himself
and sought to take away the life of Jesus in his
infancy; and Herod Antipas
tetrarch of Galilee
who is called a king
Mark 6:14; who with his men of war mocked
him
and set him at nought; and Pontius Pilate
the governor of Judea
who
represented the Roman emperor
and condemned him to death
Matthew 27:26; and all the kings of the
earth ever since
who ever persecuted Christ in his members
and have set
themselves with all their might to hinder the spread of his Gospel and the
enlargement of his interest;
and the rulers take counsel together; as did the
Jewish sanhedrim
the great court of judicature among the Jews
the members of
which were the rulers of the people
who frequently met together and consulted
to take away the life of Christ: though it may also include all other governors
and magistrates who have entered into schemes
against the Lord
and against his Anointed
or Messiah
Christ: by "the Lord"
or Jehovah
which is the great
the glorious
and incommunicable name of God
and is expressive of his eternal being and
self-existence
and of his being the fountain of essence to all creatures
is
meant God the Father; since he is distinguished from his Son
the Messiah
his
anointed One
as Messiah and Christ signify; and who is so called
because he
is anointed by God with the Holy Ghost
without measure
to the office of the
Mediator
Prophet
Priest
and King; from whom the saints receive the
anointing
which teacheth all things
and every grace of the Spirit in measure;
and who
after his name
are called Christians. This name of the promised
Redeemer was well known among the Jews
John 1:41; and which they took from this
passage
and from some others;
saying
as follows:
Psalm 2:3 3 “Let us break Their bonds
in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”
YLT
3`Let us draw off Their cords
And cast from us Their thick bands.'
Let us break their bands asunder
.... These are not the
words of the apostles
nor of the saints in Gospel times
encouraging one
another
notwithstanding the rage and opposition of Jews and Gentiles against
their Master and his interest
to break asunder the bands of wickedness
the
idolatrous customs and practices of the Heathens
and to throw off the
insupportable yoke of bondage
of Jewish traditions and ceremonies
see Isaiah 58:6; but of the Heathen
the
people
and kings of the earth
and rulers who
with one voice
say this and
what follows
and cast away their cords from us; with relation to the
Lord and his Anointed
whose laws
ordinances
and truths
they call
"bands" and "cords"; so Arama interprets them of the law
and the commandments; or a "yoke"
as the Vulgate Latin
Septuagint
Syriac
Arabic
and Ethiopic versions render the last word; and the phrases in
general express their irreverence of God and the Messiah
their rejection
Christ and his religion; their non-subjection to him
and their refusal to have
him to rule over them; and their disesteem and contempt of his Gospel
and of
the ordinances of it
and of the laws and rules of his government in his
churches: and also they show the wrong notion that carnal men have of these
things that whereas Christ's yoke is easy
and his burden light
Matthew 11:30; his Gospel and the truths of
it make men free from the slavery of sin and Satan
and from a spirit of
bondage
Romans 8:15; and true Gospel liberty
consists in an observance of his commands and ordinances; yet they look upon
these things as bands and cords
as fetters and shackles
as so many restraints
upon their liberty
which are not to be bore: when
on the other hand
they
promise themselves liberty in a disengagement from them
and in the enjoyment
of their own lusts and sinful pleasures; whereas thereby they are brought into
bondage
and become the servants of corruption. Some render it "cast away
from him"F3ממנו "a nobis
sive
ab illo"
Nebiensis. ; either from Christ
or everyone from himself.
Psalm 2:4 4 He who sits in the heavens
shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
YLT
4He who is sitting in the
heavens doth laugh
The Lord doth mock at them.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh
.... At the
rage and tumult of the Heathen; at the vain imaginations of the people; at the
opposition of the kings of the earth; at the mad counsel of the rulers
against
him and his Messiah; and at their proposal to one another to throw off the yoke
and government of them both. This is a periphrasis of God
"who dwells in
the heavens"
and sits there enthroned; though he is not included and
comprehended in them
but is everywhere; and his being there is mentioned in
opposition to the kings of the earth
and the people in it; and to show the
vast distance there is between them
and how they are as nothing to him
Isaiah 40:1
Job 4:18; and how vain and fruitless their
attempts must be against him and his Messiah: and his sitting there still and
quiet
serene and undisturbed
is opposed to the running to and fro
and the
tumultuous and riotous assembling of the Heathen. Laughing is ascribed unto
him
according to the language of men
as the Jewish writers speakF4Kimchi
Aben Ezra
& R. Sol. Ben Melech in loc.
by an anthropopathy; in the same
sense as he is said to repent and grieve
Genesis 6:6; and expresses his security
from all their attempts
Job 5:22; and the contempt he has them in
and the certain punishment of them
and the aggravation of it; who will not
only then laugh at them himself
but expose them to the laughter and scorn of
others
Proverbs 1:26;
the Lord shall have them in derision; which is a
repetition of the same thing in other words; and is made partly to show the
certainty of their disappointment and ruin
and partly to explain who is meant
by him that sits in the heavens. The Targum calls him
"the Word of the
Lord"; and Alshech interprets it of the Shechinah.
Psalm 2:5 5 Then He shall speak to
them in His wrath
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
YLT
5Then doth He speak unto
them in His anger
And in His wrath He doth trouble them:
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath
.... Or
"and he shall speak to them"; so Noldius: that is
the Lord that sits
in the heavens
and laughs
and has the Heathen
the people
the kings and
rulers in derision
shall not only silently despise their furious and concerted
opposition to him and his Messiah
but shall at last speak out unto them
not
in his word
but in his providences; and not in love
as to his own people
when he chastises them
but in great wrath
inflicting severe and just
punishment. It seems to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem
after the
crucifixion
sufferings
death
resurrection
and ascension of Christ; and after
the pouring out of the Spirit
and when the Gospel
to their great
mortification
had got ground
and made large advances in the Gentile world;
and vex them in his sore displeasure; or "in
the heat of his anger"F5בחרונו
"in aestu irae suae"
Junius & Tremellius. : see Deuteronomy 29:24
where the Holy Ghost
speaks of the same people
and of the same ruin and destruction of them at the
same time
as here: and as the carrying of the Jews captive into Babylon is
called their vexation
Isaiah 9:1; much more may their destruction
by the Romans; then it was they howled for vexation of spirit
Isaiah 65:14; the wrath of God came upon
them to the uttermost; they were filled with trouble and confusion
with terror
and consternation
as the wordF6יבהלמו
"conturbabit"
V. L. Vatablus
Gejerus; so Musculus; Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; "terrebit"
Pagninus
Montanus; so Cocceius
Michaelis; see Ainsworth. used signifies; they were vexed to see themselves
straitened and pent in on every side by the Roman armies
oppressed with famine
and internal divisions
rapine and murder; to see their temple profaned and
burnt
their city plundered and destroyed
and themselves taken and carried
captive: and what most of all vexed them was
that their attempts against Jesus
of Nazareth
the true Messiah
were fruitless; and that
notwithstanding all
their opposition to him
his name was famous
his interest increased
his
kingdom was enlarged
through the spread of his Gospel among the Gentiles; and
what Jehovah in Psalm 2:6 says
though it is to the comfort
of his people
was to their terror and vexation.
Psalm 2:6 6 “Yet I have set My King On
My holy hill of Zion.”
YLT
6`And I -- I have anointed
My King
Upon Zion -- My holy hill.'
Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Or
"behold
I have set"
&c. so Noldius by Zion is meant the church
of God
especially under the Gospel dispensation; see Hebrews 12:22; so called
because
as Zion
was
it is the object of God's love and choice
the place of his habitation and
residence; where divine worship is observed
and the word and ordinances of God
administered; and where the Lord distributes his blessings of grace; and which
is the perfection of beauty
through Christ's comeliness put upon her; and will
be the joy of the whole earth: it is strongly fortified by the power and grace
of God
and is immovable and impregnable
being built on Christ
the Rock of
ages; and
like Zion
it is an high hill
eminent and visible; and more
especially will be so when the mountain of the Lord's house is established upon
the tops of the mountains: and it is an Holy One
through the presence and
worship of God in it
and the sanctification of his Spirit. And over this hill
the church
Christ is King; he is King of saints
and is acknowledged by them;
and it is for their great safety and security
their joy
comfort
and
happiness
that he is set over them: he is called by his Father "my
King"
because he who is King of Zion is his Anointed
as in Psalm 2:2; and his Son
his begotten Son
as in Psalm 2:7; his firstborn
his fellow and
equal; and because he is his as King; not that he is King over him
for his
Father is greater than he
as man and Mediator
or with respect to his office
capacity
in which he is to be considered as King; and therefore he is rather
King under him: but he is a King of his setting up
and therefore called his;
he has appointed him his kingdom
given him the throne of his father David; put
a crown of pure gold on his head
and crowned him with glory and honour
and
the sceptre of righteousness in his hand
and has given him a name above every
name. He did not make himself a King
nor was he made so by men; but he was set
up
or "anointed" by God the Father
as the wordF7נסכתי εχρισα
Symmachus; "unxi"
Musculus
Vatablus
Ainsworth
Piscator
Muis
Cocceius;
"ego inungens"
Junius & Tremellius; "inunxi"
Michaelis. here used signifies; and may refer either to the inauguration of
Christ into his kingly office
and his investiture with it from all eternity
as in Proverbs 8:23
where the same word is used
as here; and anointing with oil being a ceremony performed at the instalment of
kings into their office
the phrase is used for the thing itself: or rather
since Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost in the human nature
at his
incarnation and baptism
and especially at the time of his ascension
when he
was made or declared to be LORD and CHRIST; this may refer to the time when he
as the ascended Lord and King
gave gifts to men
to his apostles
and
qualified them in an extraordinary manner to carry his Gospel into the Gentile
world
and spread it there
as they did with success; whereby his kingdom
became more visible and glorious
to the great vexation of the Jews; for
in
spite of all their opposition
Christ being set by his Father King over his
church and people
continued so
and his kingdom was every day more and more
enlarged
to their great mortification.
Psalm 2:7 7 “I will declare the
decree: The Lord
has said to Me
‘You are My Son
Today I have begotten You.
YLT
7I declare concerning a
statute: Jehovah said unto me
`My Son Thou [art]
I to-day have brought thee
forth.
I will declare the decree
.... These are
the words of Jehovah's Anointed and King
exercising his kingly office
according to the decree and commandment of the Father: for these words refer
not to the following
concerning the generation of the Son
which does not
depend on the decree and arbitrary will of God
but is from his nature; but
these words relate to what go before. The Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Oriental
versions
place this clause at the end of Psalm 2:6; some render it
"declaring
his commandment"
or "the commandment of the Lord"; the laws
that he would have observed
both by him and by the subjects of his kingdom.
The Syriac and Arabic versions
"that he might declare the commandment of
the Lord"; as if this was the end of his being appointed King. The word חק is differently rendered; by many
"the
decree"
the purpose of God concerning Christ as Mediator
and the
salvation of his people by him; and who so fit to declare this as he who lay in
the bosom of the Father
and was privy to all his secret thoughts and designs
and in when the eternal purpose was purposed. John 1:18. The Chaldee paraphrase renders
it by קימא
"the covenant"
the everlasting
covenant of grace; and who so proper to declare this as he with whom the
covenant was made
and who is the covenant itself
in whom all the blessings
and promises of it are
and the messenger of it. Malachi 3:1. It may not be unfitly applied
to the Gospel
which is the sum and substance of both the decree and covenant
of God; it is what was ordained before the world for our glory. This Christ was
appointed to preach
and did declare it in the great congregation; the same
with the counsel of God
Acts 20:27. The words will bear to be rendered
"I will declare" אל חפ
"to the command"F8אל חוק Heb. "ad decretum"
Michaelis
Piscator;
"juxta vel secundum statutum"
Musculus
Gejerus; "praescriptum
et modum certum"
Cocceius. ; or according to the order and rule
prescribed by Jehovah
without adding to it or taking from it: agreeably to
which he executed his office as King
and Prophet also. The doctrine was not
his own
but his Father's he preached; he spake not of himself
but as he
taught and enjoined him; the Father gave him commandment what he should say and
speak
John 12:49; and he kept close to it
as he
here says he would: and he ruled in his name
and by his authority
according
to the law of his office; and which might be depended upon from the dignity of
his person
which qualified him both for his kingly and prophetic offices
expressed in the following words:
the Lord hath said unto me
thou art my Son; not by
creation
as angels and men; nor by adoption
as saints; nor by office
as
civil magistrates; nor on account of his incarnation or resurrection; nor
because of the great love of God unto him; but in such a way of filiation as
cannot be said of any creature nor of any other
Hebrews 1:5; He is the true
proper
natural
and eternal Son of God
and as such declared
owned
and acknowledged
by Jehovah the Father
as in these words; the foundation of which relation lies
in what follows:
this day have I begotten thee; which act of begetting
refers not to the nature
nor to the office
but the person of Christ; not to
his nature
not to his divine nature
which is common with the Father and
Spirit; wherefore if his was begotten
theirs must be also: much less to his
human nature
in which he is never said to be begotten
but always to be made
and with respect to which he is without father: nor to his office as Mediator
in which he is not a Son
but a servant; besides
he was a Son previous to his
being Prophet
Priest
and King; and his office is not the foundation of his
sonship
but his sonship is the foundation of his office; or by which that is
supported
and which fits him for the performance of it: but it has respect to
his person; for
as in human generation
person begets person
and like begets
like
so in divine generation; but care must be taken to remove all
imperfection from it
such as divisibility and multiplication of essence
priority and posteriority
dependence
and the like: nor can the
"modus" or manner of it be conceived or explained by us. The date of
it
"today"
designs eternity
as in Isaiah 43:13
which is one continued day
an everlasting now. And this may be applied to any time and case in which
Christ is declared to be the Son of God; as at his incarnation
his baptism
and transfiguration upon the mount
and his resurrection from the dead
as it
is in Acts 13:33; because then he was declared to
be the Son of God with power
Romans 1:4; and to his ascension into
heaven
where he was made Lord and Christ
and his divine sonship more
manifestly appeared; which seems to be the time and case more especially
referred to here
if it be compared with Hebrews 1:3.
Psalm 2:8 8 Ask of Me
and I will give
You The nations for Your inheritance
And the ends of the earth for
Your possession.
YLT
8Ask of Me and I give nations
-- thy inheritance
And thy possession -- the ends of earth.
Ask of me
.... Jehovah
is either here again introduced speaking
or these words are a continuation of
the Son's account of what his Father said unto him; which do not suppose any
superiority in the one
or inferiority in the other; but are only expressive of
the Father's great respect and affection for his Son
as such a way of speaking
among men shows
Esther 5:3; and of the great interest the
Son had in his Father
who could ask nothing but he had it; and shows the
perfect harmony
agreement
and unity between them: see 1 Kings 3:5; Christ
in the council and
covenant of grace and peace
asked many things of his Father
which were
granted; he asked for the persons of all the elect to be his bride and spouse
and his heart's desire was given him
and the request of his lips was not
withheld from him: he asked for all the blessings of grace for them; for
spiritual life here
and eternal life hereafter; and all were given him
and
put into his hands for them
Psalm 20:2; and here it is promised him
and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine
inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession; by "the
Heathen"
and "the uttermost parts of the earth"
are meant
God's elect among the Gentiles
and who live in the distant parts of the world;
which are Christ's other sheep
the Father has given to him as his portion
and
whom he has made his care and charge: as if it was not enough that he should be
King of Zion
or have the government over his chosen ones among the Jews
he
commits into his hands the Gentiles also; see Isaiah 49:6; and these are given him as his
inheritance and possession
as his portion
to be enjoyed by him; and who
esteems them as such
and reckons them a goodly heritage
and a peculiar
treasure
his jewels
and the apple of his eye. These words respect the calling
of the Gentiles under the Gospel dispensation; and the amplitude of Christ's
kingdom in all the earth
which shall be from sea to sea
and from the rivers
to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 2:9 9 You shall break[a] them with
a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
YLT
9Thou dost rule them with a
sceptre of iron
As a vessel of a potter Thou dost crush them.'
Thou shalt break them with
a rod of iron
.... Not his inheritance and possession among the Gentiles
the
chosen ones given him by the Father; these he delights in
takes care of
protects
and preserves: but the stubborn and rebellious ones among the
Heathen
and in each of the parts of the world
who will not have him to reign
over them; who treat his person with contempt
reject his government
disobey
his Gospel
and despise his commands; towards these Christ will use severity
and will exert his power and break them in pieces. The Vulgate Latin
Septuagint
Syriac
Arabic
and Ethiopic versions
render it
"shall
feed" or "rule them"; and so it is cited in Revelation 2:27; and applied to Christ
the
Word of God
and King of kings; and must be understood
as it is in those
places
of the severity of his government over them
of the strictness of his
justice
without the least display of mercy; and then the sense is the same
with those versions which render it
"shall break them:" as the word
used is interpreted by the Targum
and the Jewish commentators on the place;
and which is confirmed by what follows:
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel; which is very
easily done with a bar of iron; and
when it is done
the pieces can never be
put together again: so that by the metaphor is signified the easy and
irreparable ruin of the wicked; see Isaiah 30:14. The word signifies that they
should be so crumbled into dust
that they should be scattered about as with
the wind; which
so far as it relates to the Jews
was fulfilled in their
destruction by the Romans
and will have its accomplishment in the
antichristian nations at the latter day; see Revelation 2:26.
Psalm 2:10 10 Now therefore
be wise
O
kings; Be instructed
you judges of the earth.
YLT
10And now
O kings
act
wisely
Be instructed
O judges of earth
Be wise now therefore
O
ye kings
.... This address is made not so much to the kings of the earth
in David's time
as to those who would be under the Gospel dispensation
and
times of the Messiah; and particularly who would rise up
and set themselves
against the Lord and his Anointed
Psalm 2:2; and with these are to be
understood their subjects: for if they are to serve the Lord
and be subject to
Christ
then much more those that are under them; and they are rather spoken to
particularly
because their examples have great influence on those over whom
they rule
whether for good or evil these are exhorted to be wise
or to act
the wise part; for great men are not always wise; wisdom
riches
and honour
do not always go together; men may be in high places
and yet be of low
understandings; however
they do not always act wisely
and particularly those
kings did not
when they rose up and set themselves against the Lord and his
Messiah; since such opposition must be fruitless
nor is there any counsel
against the Lord. And we learn
from the connection of these words with the
following
that the truest wisdom in kings and people is to fear God
be
subject to Christ
and trust in him. The words are an inference from what goes
before; "therefore"
since Christ is set as King over Zion
and he is
no other than the Son of God
and who has a power over all flesh; one part of
the world is his inheritance and possession
and the other part he will in a
little time break and dash to pieces; wherefore "now"
under the
Gospel dispensation
while it is today
and now is the accepted time and day of
salvation
before the blow is given; act the wise part and leave off opposing
and become subject to so great and powerful a King;
be instructed
ye judges of the earth; who are under
kings
being appointed by them to hear causes and minister justice; they answer
to the sanhedrim of the Jews; to the rulers in Psalm 2:2. These are exhorted to receive
instructions
not in things political and civil they may be well acquainted
with; but in things religious and evangelical
in the worship of God
in the
Gospel of Christ
and in his ordinances; for persons in such posts should not
be above instruction in these things. The word may be rendered
"be ye
chastised" or "corrected"F9הוסרו
"castigamini"
Piscator; so Ainsworth; "corrigimini"
Castalio
Gejerus
Michaelis. ; that is
suffer reproof
correction
and
chastisement at the hand of God
whether by words or deeds; submit to it
patiently
and receive instruction from it: for God sometimes reproves kings
and princes of the earth
on account of their sins
and for the sake of his
people
when they should learn righteousness; see Psalm 105:14.
Psalm 2:11 11 Serve the Lord with fear
And
rejoice with trembling.
YLT
11Serve ye Jehovah with fear
And rejoice with trembling.
Serve the Lord with fear
.... Not the
creature
neither more
nor besides
nor with the Creator; God and mammon cannot
both be served; nor any fictitious and nominal deities
the idols of the
Gentiles
who are not gods by nature; but the true Jehovah
the one and only
Lord God
he only is to be worshipped and served
even Father
Son
and Spirit.
Here it may be understood either of the Lord Christ
the Son of God
who is to
be served by the kings and judges of the earth
he being King of kings
and
Lord of lords; or rather of Jehovah the Father
since the Son seems to be
distinguished from him in Psalm 2:12
and the service these persons
are called unto lies not in the discharge of any office in the church
as in
preaching the word
which is serving God in the Gospel of his Son; and hence
the ministers of the word are eminently called the servants of the most high
God; for kings and judges are not required hereby to lay aside their crowns and
sceptres
and leave their seats of justice
and become preachers of the Gospel;
but in acting according to the will of God revealed in his word
and in the
whole worship of him
both internal and external: and this is to be done
"with fear"
not with fear of man
nor with servile fear of God
but
with a godly and filial fear
with a reverential affection for him
and in a
way agreeable to his mind and will; with reverence and awe of him
without
levity
carelessness
and negligence;
and rejoice with trembling; some reference may be
had to the joy in public worship
as at sacrifices and festivals
and the music
in divine service under the law; and the singing of psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs under the Gospel; and especially to the Gospel dispensation
itself
which is a time of joy and rejoicing; the Gospel is good tidings of
great joy; the kingdom of God is not in things external
but in joy in the Holy
Ghost; and
above all
respect is had to a rejoicing in Christ Jesus
in his
person
righteousness
and salvation: and which is consistent with
"trembling"; not with a fearful looking for of judgment
but with
modesty and humility; in which sense this word
when joined with
"fear" as here
is used Philemon 2:12
and stands opposed to pride
haughtiness
and arrogance; men should so rejoice in Christ as to have no
confidence in the flesh
or assume any degree of glory to themselves
or have
any rejoicing in themselves
but wholly in Christ
giving all the glory of what
they have to him.
Psalm 2:12 12 Kiss the Son
[b] lest [c] He be
angry
And you perish in the way
When His wrath is kindled but a
little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
YLT
12Kiss the Chosen One
lest
He be angry
And ye lose the way
When His anger burneth but a little
O the
happiness of all trusting in Him!
Kiss the Son
.... The Son
of God
spoken of in Psalm 2:7; the word used is so rendered in Proverbs 31:2; and comes from another which
signifies to "choose"
and to "purify"
or "to be
pure"; hence some render it "the elect" or "chosen
One"
or "the pure One"F11בר
εκλεκτον
Aquila;
"purum"
Cocceius; so Kimchi & Ben Melech. ; and both agree with
Christ
who is God's elect
chosen to be the Redeemer and Saviour of his
people
and who is pure free from sin
original and actual. And whereas a kiss
is a token of love among friends and relations
at meeting and parting
Genesis 33:11; it may here design the love
and affection that is to be expressed to Christ
who is a most lovely object
and to be loved above all creatures and things; or
as it sometimes signifies
homage and subjection
1 Samuel 10:1
and it is the custom of the
Indians to this day for subjects to kiss their kings: it may here also denote
the subjection of the kings and judges and others to Christ
who is Lord of
all; or else
as it has been used in token of adoration and worship
Job 31:26; it may design the worship which
is due to him from all ranks of creatures
angels and men
Hebrews 1:6; and the honour which is to be
given to him
as to the Father
John 5:22; which shows the greatness and
dignity of his person
and that he is the true God and eternal life: in the
TalmudF12T. Bab. Sanhedrin
fol. 92. 1. this is interpreted of the
law
where it is said
"there
is no בר but the law
according to Psalm 2:12;'
which
agrees with the Septuagint version;
lest he be angry; though he is a Lamb
he has wrath in him
and when the great day of his wrath comes in any form on earth
there is no
standing before him; and how much less when he shall appear as the Lion of the
tribe of Judah
and shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire; then kings
and freemen will call to the rocks to fall upon them
and hide them from him;
and ye perish from the way; the Syriac version
renders it "from his way"
the Son's way; and the Septuagint and
Vulgate Latin versions "from the righteous way"; and the Arabic
version "from the way of righteousness"; or "as to the
way"
as othersF13דרך "quoad
viam"
Cocceius
Gussetius.
the good way; all to one sense; meaning that
way of righteousness
salvation and eternal life by Jesus Christ
which being
missed by persons
they are eternally lost and undone: some render it
"because of the way"F14"Propter viam"
Vatablus
Muis. ; that is
because of their sinful course of life; for the way of the
ungodly shall perish itself
and therefore they that pursue it shall perish
also: others render it "in the way"F15"In via"
Pagninus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Ainsworth
Gejerus. ; and then the
sense is
lest they perish in the midst of their course of sin
in their own
evil way
they have chosen and delighted in
or
to use the words of Christ
"die in their sins"
John 8:21
and everlastingly perish; for
this perishing is to be understood not of corporeal death
in which sense
righteous men perish
but of everlasting destruction: or the word which is
rendered "from the way" may be translated "suddenly"F16"Subito"
Noldius
p. 230. No. 1052.
"immediately"
or
"straightway"
and our English word "directly" is almost
the same; and so may design the swift and sudden destruction of such persons
who provoke the Son to wrath and anger; which sense is confirmed by what
follows;
when his wrath is kindled but a little; either to a
small degree
or but for a little while; for the least degree and duration of
it are intolerable
and who then can dwell in everlasting burnings
or abide
the devouring flames? or when it is kindled פתאום
"suddenly"F17 εν ταχει Sept.
"subito"
Noldius
p. 433. No. 1371.
in a moment
as Jarchi
interprets it; and so sudden wrath brings sudden destruction;
blessed are all they that put their trust in him; not in horses
and chariots
in riches and honours
in their own wisdom
strength
and
righteousness; but in the Son of God
the Lord Jesus Christ
and who is truly
and properly God; or otherwise faith and trust would not be required to be put
in him: and happy are those who betake themselves to him as to their strong
hold and place of defence; who look to him and believe in him for pardon
peace
righteousness
every supply of grace and eternal life; these are safe
and secure in him
nor shall they want any good thing needful for them; and
they have much peace
joy
and comfort here
and shall have more grace as they
want it
and hereafter eternal glory and happiness.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)