Psalm 2:2-9

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:3

Let us break their bands asunder. Wicked men always feel God's rule and his Law to be restraints. They chafe at them, fret against them, and, in the last resort—so far as their will goes—wholly throw them off. And cast away their cords from us. "Bands" and "cords" are the fetters that restrain prisoners. The rebels determine to burst them, and assert their absolute freedom. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:4

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh . God "laughs" at the vain and futile efforts of man to escape from the control of his laws and throw off his dominion (comp. Psalms 37:13 ; Psalms 59:8 ). It is impossible that these efforts should succeed. Men must obey God willingly, or else unwillingly. The Lord (Adonay in the ordinary Hebrew text, but a large number of manuscripts have Jehovah) shall have them in derision. "Laughter" and "derision" are, of course, anthropo-morphisms. It... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:5

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath . "Then" ( אָז ) means "after a time"—"presently" ('Speaker's Commentary'), when the fitting period has arrived. "He shall speak"—not in articulate words, not by a voice from heaven, not even by a commissioned messenger, but by accomplished facts. Christ does rule; Christ does reign; he sits a King in heaven, and is acknowledged as a King upon earth. In vain was all the opposition of the Jews, in vain persecution after persecution by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:6

Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion ; literally, and as for me, I have set my King upon Zion, the mount of my holiness. The words are uttered by Jehovah, and must refer to the Anointed One of Psalms 2:2 . This Anointed One God has set up as King upon Zion, his holy mountain. Without denying some reference to David, the type, we must regard the Anti-type, Christ, as mainly pointed at. Christ is set up for ever as King in the heavenly Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:2-7 ; ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:7

I will declare the decree . It is best to suppose that Messiah here takes the word, and maintains it to the end of Psalms 2:9 , when the psalmist resumes in his own person. Messiah "declares," or publishes, a "decree," made by God the Father in the beginning of all things, and communicated by him to the Son, whereby he made known the relationship between them, and invested the Son with sovereign power over the universe. The Lord hath said unto me ; rather, said unto me (see the Revised... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:8

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. A very small part of the heathen were the inheritance of David, and therefore the Messiah only can be spoken of in this verse. Before Messiah "all kings" were to "fall down; all nations to do him service" ( Psalms 72:11 ; comp. Isaiah 49:22 ; Isaiah 60:3 , Isaiah 60:4 ; Matthew 28:19 , etc.). And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (comp. Isaiah 52:10 ; Jeremiah 16:19 ; Micah 5:4 ; ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:8

The kingdom and glory of Christ. "Ask," etc. We have the highest authority for regarding this psalm as a prophecy of the kingdom and glory of Christ. Interpreters labour in vain to fix on some occasion in Israel's history to account for its composition. No adequate explanation can be imagined of its scope and language but that given in Acts 4:25 (comp. Acts 13:33 ; Hebrews 1:5 ). Acts 4:10-12 would be blasphemous arrogance if spoken by and of a mere earthly king. Here is a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:9

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron . It is said that these words, and those of the next clause, "cannot describe the mild rule of Christ" (Rosenmuller, Do Wette, Hupfeld, etc.). But the objectors forget that there is a severe, as well as a mild, side to the dealings of God with his human creatures. St. Paul notes in the same verse both the "severity" and the "goodness" of God ( Romans 11:22 ). Christ, though "the Prince of Peace," "came to send a sword upon the earth" ( Matthew... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 2:2

The kings of the earth - This verse is designed to give a more specific form to the general statement in Psalms 2:1. In the first verse the psalmist sees a general commotion among the nations as engaged in some plan that he sees must be a vain one; here he describes more particularly the cause of the excitement, and gives a nearer view of what is occurring. He now sees kings and rulers engaged in a specific and definite plot against Yahweh and against His Anointed. The word “kings” here is a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 2:3

Let us break their bands asunder - The bands of Yahweh and of his Anointed. They who are engaged in this combination or conspiracy regard Yahweh and his Anointed as one, and as having one object - to set up a dominion over the world. Hence, they take counsel against both; and, with the same purpose and design, endeavor to cast off the authority of each. The word “bands” here refers to the restraints imposed by their authority. The figure is probably taken from fastening a yoke on oxen, or the... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:5

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:6

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:7

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 2:9

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 2:2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 2:3

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